Tanks But No Tanks

[RobDownSouth]

For the third consecutive year, the United States Army has asked Congress to please stop purchasing new M-1 Abrams tanks. We have 9,000 in inventory, that's quite enough.


.....and for the third consecutive year, the Armchair Generals of the US Congress bought still more tanks for the Army. It's all about teh PATRIOTISM.

A tremendous waste of tax dollars.

 

[Adre]

For the third consecutive year, the United States Army has asked Congress to please stop purchasing new M-1 Abrams tanks. We have 9,000 in inventory, that's quite enough.


.....and for the third consecutive year, the Armchair Generals of the US Congress bought still more tanks for the Army. It's all about teh PATRIOTISM.

A tremendous waste of tax dollars.

Rob, don't you think we should leave this in the hands of Lit's own military experts?

 

[1sickbastard]

For the third consecutive year, the United States Army has asked Congress to please stop purchasing new M-1 Abrams tanks. We have 9,000 in inventory, that's quite enough.


.....and for the third consecutive year, the Armchair Generals of the US Congress bought still more tanks for the Army. It's all about teh PATRIOTISM.

A tremendous waste of tax dollars.

Not at all.
Many of those tanks will be sold off to countries the US will attack later because the military tech of those countries represents a threat to regional neighbors and 'Murikan strategic interests.
Creating a believable pretexts takes effort & money yanno.

 

[Que]

A blind squirrel and all that.

For once, I agree with you.

A lot of the Pentagon's budget is out of their hands and used to buy political favors.

Be interesting to see who's district the tanks are built in.

Hmmm... It seems that Congressman Jim Jordan, born and raised in Ohio was about a sophomore in HS when the first tank rolled off the line in Lima Ohio.

Any guesses as to how hard he fought to kill the tank since he is apparently a self styled "fiscal conservative?" I'm betting this purchase was fiscally necessary to his district. Be nice if I was wrong.

I think between the possibility of handing a blank check to corrupt and/or vote-buying congressmen or handing it off to a bunch of potentially corrupt generals, I'd let the generals decide what they need. They usually go currupt after they retire.

 

[unregistered]

 

[1sickbastard]

Iraqi Shia Militia Convoy Spotted with and M1A1-Abrams
I guess someone needs more tanks.

 

[KingOrfeo]

How do you know it's enough? How do you know whether or not political officers, on instructions from Obama's White House, are talking instead of real military officers?

Hmm . . . Nothing in the story even says which side the WH is taking on this.

How do you know it wasn't a General like "Maj. Gen. James Post, vice commander of Air Combat Command, was quoted as saying, “If anyone accuses me of saying this, I will deny it … anyone who is passing information to Congress about A-10 capabilities is committing treason,” in a report published Thursday on The Arizona Daily Independent."

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/01/16/general-praising-the-a-10-to-lawmakers-is-treason/

Who was opposing the A-10 for political reasons.

He's still a "real military officer," isn't he? Everyone with a uniform and a commission is.

 

[someoneyouknow]

How do you know it's enough? How do you know whether or not political officers, on instructions from Obama's White House, are talking instead of real military officers? How do you know it wasn't a General like "Maj. Gen. James Post, vice commander of Air Combat Command, was quoted as saying, “If anyone accuses me of saying this, I will deny it … anyone who is passing information to Congress about A-10 capabilities is committing treason,” in a report published Thursday on The Arizona Daily Independent."

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/01/16/general-praising-the-a-10-to-lawmakers-is-treason/

Who was opposing the A-10 for political reasons.

The military has been saying for years they don't need any more M1s. However, every time they say no, Congress members from states where the M1 is made ignore them because if the program is stopped, their states will lose jobs.

Which is odd because Republicans always say the government doesn't create jobs.

Here are reports from 2012 and 2014 where the military has unequivocally stated: We don't need any more tanks.



http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/09/army-to-congress-thanks-but-no-tanks/

http://archive.defensenews.com/article/20120307/DEFREG02/303070011/U-S-Army-Congress-No-New-Tanks-Please

And for good measure, an article from the Fox tabloid saying the exact same thing:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/04/28/army-says-no-to-more-tanks-but-congress-insists/

 

[JohnnySavage]

Iraqi Shia Militia Convoy Spotted with and M1A1-Abrams
I guess someone needs more tanks.

That's why we need new ones. We left all the dirty and scratched ones in Iraq.

 

[unregistered]

 

[unregistered]

 

[someoneyouknow]

How the military is armed, organized, and regulated is a power vested in the Congress.

Except Congress is supposed to listen to those who know because Congress is not the expert on what is needed. It's their job to give the military what it says it wants and need, not decide for them.

All Congress is doing is wasting more taxpayer money on a worthless project. Or are we no longer concerned with rampant government spending?

 

[1sickbastard]

Except Congress is supposed to listen to those who know because Congress is not the expert on what is needed. It's their job to give the military what it says it wants and need, not decide for them.

All Congress is doing is wasting more taxpayer money on a worthless project. Or are we no longer concerned with rampant government spending?

That's different, because reasons.

 

[BotanyBoy]

Not at all.
Many of those tanks will be sold off to countries the US will attack later because the military tech of those countries represents a threat to regional neighbors and 'Murikan strategic interests.
Creating a believable pretexts takes effort & money yanno.

No they wont, they will sit in a field out in KY or MO and rot for the next 50 years.

We have square miles of top notch military equipment that just sits and rots.....brand fuckin' new and it will all be scrapped with the new gear smell and everything.

Clearly vetteman loves and supports this as he has made it very clear no amount of military spending is too much for him. He only hates spending money when its on something to improve America and life in it.

 

[1sickbastard]

No they wont, they will sit in a field out in KY or MO and rot for the next 50 years.

We have square miles of top notch military equipment that just sits and rots.....brand fuckin' new and it will all be scrapped with the new gear smell and everything.

Clearly vetteman loves and supports this as he has made it very clear no amount of military spending is too much for him. He only hates spending money when its on something to improve America and life in it.

But that's different.
Because reasons.

 

[someoneyouknow]

No they wont, they will sit in a field out in KY or MO and rot for the next 50 years.

We have square miles of top notch military equipment that just sits and rots.....brand fuckin' new and it will all be scrapped with the new gear smell and everything.

Clearly vetteman loves and supports this as he has made it very clear no amount of military spending is too much for him. He only hates spending money when its on something to improve America and life in it.

One of the articles I listed mentions there is a place outside of Vegas where there are 2,000 M1s sitting and collecting dust. This newest crop will just add to the pile.

 

[RobDownSouth]

How the military is armed, organized, and regulated is a power vested in the Congress.

It also gives losers like Vietnam-era Marines a convenient scapegoat when they fail to accomplish their mission.
:nods:

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

How the military is armed, organized, and regulated is a power vested in the Congress.

What a hot load of horse shit.

If the Pentagon says they don't need any more tanks (and they have, repeatedly), then they don't need any more tanks. The only reason for Congress to ignore the people who actually USE the tanks in question is because their constituents MAKE them.

I suppose you would be perfectly fine with Congress telling the Pentagon that thy must buy 100,000 black powder muskets per month that they have no need for because Rep. Dipshit's home town has a large musket factory that simply can not be shut down. Because, elections coming.

It's a fucking waste of money. Something a "conservative" should be concerned about.

 

[Que]

That's why we need new ones. We left all the dirty and scratched ones in Iraq.

You raise a fair point. It will save a lot on soapsuds and paint.

 

[1sickbastard]

It also gives losers like Vietnam-era Marines a convenient scapegoat when they fail to accomplish their mission.
:nods:

That's just because you're too stupid to understand conservatism!
When other's fail, it's their own fault.
When I or any of the people I agree with fail, it's other people's fault.
Because it's about self-responsibility after all.

 

[BotanyBoy]

But that's different.
Because reasons.

And freedom. *nod*

One of the articles I listed mentions there is a place outside of Vegas where there are 2,000 M1s sitting and collecting dust. This newest crop will just add to the pile.

Oh there are places like that in EVERY state....just acre after acre after acre of brand new military gear piled up to never be used. And I only saw a part of the Army's shit....I'm sure the other branches have their own yards.

It's a fucking waste of money. Something a "conservative" should be concerned about.

He's not a conservative....he's a republican.

 

[RobDownSouth]

That's just because you're too stupid to understand conservatism!
When other's fail, it's their own fault.
When I or any of the people I agree with fail, it's other people's fault.
Because it's about self-responsibility after all.

Conservatism is avoiding responsibility by any means necessary.

 

[1sickbastard]

Conservatism is avoiding responsibility by any means necessary.

It's like hypocrisy; it only counts when it's the other guy.

 

[Hard_Rom]

Where are M1s made? How many American heavy industry workers will be put out of work?

Tanks are todays status symbol in the military. Look in books or sites that rate militaries. Tanks figure prominently. The old USSR and the new Russia are geared for a land war and so needed more tanks than everyone else put together. Just to keep up with the Jones in Jane's books suffices.

 

[JohnnySavage]

Speaking as one of the two or three actual conservatives on the board, Vette is not one of us. We have a strict "No Fascists Allowed" policy.