Neoconservatism is dead, isn't it?

[Politruk]

The foreign-policy warhawkery that was the Washington Consensus in the W years seems to be a dead letter now.

The neocons have shut up and gone away.

Nobody wants to go to war any more. The outcome of the Iraq War, and Afghanistan, spoiled everybody's taste for it.

So why is it that that nobody wants to cut defense spending?

Why is the U.S. still spending as much on defense as the next 10 or 11 biggest-spending nations combined?

Why do we still have a global network of 800+ military bases?

Why is America still a military empire?

 

[Saint_Ann]

What's the expiration date on anything " neo"?

 

[Politruk]

What's the expiration date on anything " neo"?

In this case, think Bill Kristol and the Project for a new American Century (neoconservatism) vs. Pat Buchanan and the Tea Party (paleoconservatism).

 

[Saint_Ann]

In this case, think Bill Kristol and the Project for a new American Century (neoconservatism) vs. Pat Buchanan and the Tea Party (paleoconservatism).

I always get him confused with the comedian. I guess when your name falls out of the news cycle, you're no longer relevant.

 

[RobDownSouth]

Cutting the American defense budget right now would trigger the right wing to howl "you don't support the trooooooooooooooops!" We're not at war or involved in any major conflict right now, yet the defense budget is higher than when we had divisions deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The military-industrial complex has taken over the defense department.

 

[Politruk]

Cutting the American defense budget right now would trigger the right wing to howl "you don't support the trooooooooooooooops!"

Does anybody still think in those terms?

And what ever happened to cutting federal spending as a right-wing issue?! There's nothing more expensive in the budget than the DoD!

 

[Rightguide]

Cutting the American defense budget right now would trigger the right wing to howl "you don't support the trooooooooooooooops!" We're not at war or involved in any major conflict right now, yet the defense budget is higher than when we had divisions deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The military-industrial complex has taken over the defense department.

Damn Rip Van Winkle just woke up.

 

[Politruk]

The military-industrial complex has taken over the defense department.

But how did it take over Congress?! Only Congress can vote the funding.

 

[SevMax2]

The foreign-policy warhawkery that was the Washington Consensus in the W years seems to be a dead letter now.

The neocons have shut up and gone away.

Nobody wants to go to war any more. The outcome of the Iraq War, and Afghanistan, spoiled everybody's taste for it.

So why is it that that nobody wants to cut defense spending?

Why is the U.S. still spending as much on defense as the next 10 or 11 biggest-spending nations combined?

Why do we still have a global network of 800+ military bases?

Why is America still a military empire?

Well, it lives in the Lincoln Project and Liz Cheney's mind, so my vote for Harris is spite of their endorsement, not because of it.

 

[BabyBoomer50s]

Cutting the historically low US defense budget during these volatile times would be a terrible idea.

 

[Politruk]

Cutting the historically low US defense budget during these volatile times would be a terrible idea.
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Why? What military threats to the U.S. exist? Not Russia. Not China. Not any Muslim force.

 

[Politruk]

So what happens now? What will military policy and defense spending be under a second Trump Admin?

 

[Politruk]

Cutting the historically low US defense budget during these volatile times would be a terrible idea.

It might be low as percentage of GDP -- but, the U.S. still spends more on defense than the next 11 biggest-spending nations combined, and there is no good reason why we should do that.

 

[BabyBoomer50s]

It might be low as percentage of GDP -- but, the U.S. still spends more on defense than the next 11 biggest-spending nations combined, and there is no good reason why we should do that.

China, North Korea, Russia and Iran are good enough reasons for me.

 

[Politruk]

China, North Korea, Russia and Iran are good enough reasons for me.

We're never going to fight any of them. Too much risk of nuclear escalation. Besides, SK could beat NK all on its own, doesn't need our help.

 

[TrailerHitch]

Cutting the American defense budget right now would trigger the right wing to howl "you don't support the trooooooooooooooops!" We're not at war or involved in any major conflict right now, yet the defense budget is higher than when we had divisions deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The military-industrial complex has taken over the defense department.

We are involved as a proxy in 2 wars. Israel and the Ukraine. The US is supplying Billions of dollars of weaponry and support to both. Whether we actually fight the war or supply it the money has to come from somewhere.

 

[TrailerHitch]

We're never going to fight any of them. Too much risk of nuclear escalation. Besides, SK could beat NK all on its own, doesn't need our help.

As if, just like the last Korean Conflict if the North was losing, the Chinese wouldn't intervene.

 

[Politruk]

As if, just like the last Korean Conflict if the North was losing, the Chinese wouldn't intervene.

If China intervenes, the U.S. can't.

So there's no point spending money to prepare for that fight. There's no point keeping troops stationed in the peninsula.

 

[TrailerHitch]

If China intervenes, the U.S. can't.

So there's no point spending money to prepare for that fight. There's no point keeping troops stationed in the peninsula.

They can't? Says who? If we had no intentions of intervening why are there roughly 24,000 US military personnel stationed there?

 

[Holy_Seduction]

The foreign-policy warhawkery that was the Washington Consensus in the W years seems to be a dead letter now.

The neocons have shut up and gone away.

Nobody wants to go to war any more. The outcome of the Iraq War, and Afghanistan, spoiled everybody's taste for it.

So why is it that that nobody wants to cut defense spending?

Why is the U.S. still spending as much on defense as the next 10 or 11 biggest-spending nations combined?

Why do we still have a global network of 800+ military bases?

Why is America still a military empire?

Politruk … this won’t make for good reading, but there are those who consider Biden and those around him are neo-conservatives.

We are in the opening stages of WW III now. The US Diplomatic Mission is in complete collapse. The Russian Federation has recalled its Ambassador [his Excellency being an extraordinary man who studied the US most of his life, as and was ignored studiously since the day he arrived.

Politruk, the questions you have asked are profoundly important. Thank you for raising them.

Later!

 

[Politruk]

They can't? Says who?

The U.S. could not intervene because the U.S. cannot risk any direct confrontation with Chinese forces. That could go nuclear.

If we had no intentions of intervening why are there roughly 24,000 US military personnel stationed there?

That's my point. They shouldn't be there -- we can't ever use them.

 

[Politruk]

We are in the opening stages of WW III now.

Against whom? We're not going fight Russia, nor China.

 

[BabyBoomer50s]

We're never going to fight any of them. Too much risk of nuclear escalation. Besides, SK could beat NK all on its own, doesn't need our help.

I believe the threat of a war involving any of those countries is real. I believe the threat of fighting in more than one theater is real. And I believe the best deterrent is having the resources and the will to decisively defeat any enemy that might consider testing our military capabilities by launching an attack on us or our allies.

 

[Holy_Seduction]

Against whom? We're not going to fight Russia …

 

[Rightguide]

But how did it take over Congress?! Only Congress can vote the funding.

They are getting their pockets lined by the Military Industrial complex. It's one big circle jerk.