The next Republican CinC Must Reform The Military

[ll74]

Let's not conflate the debt and the deficit - two related but separate things.

Which are we talking about, debt or deficits?

Reagan increased both
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/shared/minitext/ess_reaganomics.html

In the Reagan years, more federal debt was added than in the entire prior history of the United States."

Between the beginning and the end of the Reagan presidency, the annual deficit almost tripled

 

[JohnEngelman]

Let's not conflate the debt and the deficit - two related but separate things.

Which are we talking about, debt or deficits?

They both increased under Reagan because he cut taxes, especially for the rich, while raising military spending.

 

[LittleDixie]

Reagan increased both
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/shared/minitext/ess_reaganomics.html

Well, the debt increases under every president.

I just noticed that we were talking about one thing and then switched to another. Wanted to get specific.

 

[ll74]

Well, the debt increases under every president.

I just noticed that we were talking about one thing and then switched to another. Wanted to get specific.

Then I'd suggest the topic was the deficit. Either one increased significantly.

 

[JohnEngelman]

It only took the US 100 hours to eject the fourth largest Russian armed army in the world from Kuwait. In 100 hours the Iraqis lost:

20,000–50,000 killed[21][22]
75,000+ wounded[8]
80,000–175,000 captured[21][23][24]
3,300 tanks destroyed[21]
2,100 APCs destroyed[21]
2,200 artillery pieces destroyed[21]
110 aircraft destroyed[19]
137 aircraft flown to Iran to escape destruction[19]
19 ships sunk, 6 damaged[19]

Oh and this did scare the shit out of the Chinese as well. Later it would take only 21 days to invade Iraq and take Baghdad against the best of it Russian armed army out side of Russia. The insurgency would take another 9 years after Bush and Obama blew the victory. Most of the problems with the us military right now are with its Democrat leadership and woke generals an admirals they appointed to change our force.

There was never any reason to invade Iraq. Saddam was not in any way responsible for 9/11. He was not working on an atomic bomb. Invading Iraq gave Osama bin Laden the opportunity to escape into Pakistan, Where Navy SEALS eventually killed him when Obama was president.

By the time the United States invaded Iraq Saddam was harmless to American interests. He had been thoroughly discredited as a Sunni religious leader and an Arab nationalist leader. Destroying his dictatorship relieved Iran of a natural enemy.

 

[JohnEngelman]

Well, the debt increases under every president.

I just noticed that we were talking about one thing and then switched to another. Wanted to get specific.

When the Second World War ended in 1945 the national debt as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) was 114%.

During president Carter's last year in office, 1980, this had declined to 32%. It declined under Republican and Democrat presidents. It declined during the wars in Korea and Vietnam. During this time the top tax rate was never below 70%, and was often much higher.

President Reagan cut the top tax rate from 70% to 28%. In 1988, when he left office, the national debt as a percentage of GDP had risen to 50%. When Trump left office in 2020 the national debt as a percentage of GDP had grown to 129%.

https://www.thebalance.com/national-debt-by-year-compared-to-gdp-and-major-events-3306287

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/02inpetr.pdf

That is because whenever the Republican Party has the power to do so it cuts taxes, especially for the rich, and raises military spending. There has never been any need for the United States to increase military spending. We already spend more than Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and several of our allies combined.




Republicans raise military spending because the military is the Republican jobs program, and because military contractors are major contributors to the GOP. Even with all that money, two Republican presidents could not defeat the Taliban.

 

[LittleDixie]

I'm all for cutting taxes. The government wastes most of that money anyway. The government should reduce spending on everything and give that money back to us.

 

[Rightguide]

There was never any reason to invade Iraq. Saddam was not in any way responsible for 9/11. He was not working on an atomic bomb. Invading Iraq gave Osama bin Laden the opportunity to escape into Pakistan, Where Navy SEALS eventually killed him when Obama was president.

By the time the United States invaded Iraq Saddam was harmless to American interests. He had been thoroughly discredited as a Sunni religious leader and an Arab nationalist leader. Destroying his dictatorship relieved Iran of a natural enemy.

That's a whole different subject than what I addressed in my response which was an attempt to denigrate our military with assumptions about their commitment to their duty. If any such lack of commitment exists, it's in our political leadership.

 

[JohnEngelman]

I'm all for cutting taxes. The government wastes most of that money anyway. The government should reduce spending on everything and give that money back to us.

There is nothing behind your opinions but irritable attitudes and hot air. I have to read other posters for knowledge and insight.

 

[LittleDixie]

There is nothing behind your opinions but irritable attitudes and hot air. I have to read other posters for knowledge and insight.

cool story!