U.S. Defense Secretary: Russia is Main Threat to U.S. Security

[JackLuis]

U.S. Defense Secretary: Russia is Main Threat to U.S. Security

Washington isn't the only place that pushes the "New Cold War" position. Read the Moscow Times!

The United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter named Russia as one of the biggest challenges to U.S. security, the RIA Novosti news agency reported Friday.

Carter identified five major challenges facing the U.S. military – Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and terrorism – at the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services' hearing of the 2017 defense budget on Thursday. This reiterated his earlier address to the Economic Club of Washington in February.

Carter put Russia at the top of this list.

“Today's security environment is very different from what it was 25 years ago. It requires new actions and new investments,” Carter was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.

Carter referred to Russia and China as “rivals, who have developed and continue to develop military systems that threaten the United States' position in some areas,” RIA Novosti reported.

The Pentagon has requested a military budget of $582.7 billion, of which $58.8 billion would be used to finance military operations abroad.

Last month, Carter addressed the Economic Club of Washington on the necessity to reshape spending priorities to reflect a new strategic environment marked by Russian assertiveness and the rise of the Islamic State, Reuters reported.

Is Putin needing a foreign threat to distract his people? Is this a plan to get more Navel Construction?

 

[phrodeau]

If the Second Amendment is meant to keep the government from being more powerful than the people, why do we allow the military budget to be so high?

 

[AlexVega]

We can thank Obama for Cold War 2.0

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

If the Second Amendment is meant to keep the government from being more powerful than the people, why do we allow the military budget to be so high?

For people who constantly quote the "founding fathers" and the "federalist papers" they sure do like very large, very expensive, standing armies.

Something Hamilton warned against in the federalist papers repeatedly.

 

[Hypoxia]

If the Second Amendment is meant to keep the government from being more powerful than the people, why do we allow the military budget to be so high?

2nd Amendment's purpose was to grant all residents the right to bear arms in defense of the country; i.e. to not be excluded from joining the "well-regulated militia". The meaning has been utterly gutted by the courts. It's like calling a wittol a cuckold. Quite Orwellian.

BTW when written, monthly militia gatherings were wild parties, the best social events in town. Drink, shoot, fuck, gamble, etc. 2nd Amendment is about partying.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

2nd Amendment's purpose was to grant all residents the right to bear arms in defense of the country; i.e. to not be excluded from joining the "well-regulated militia". The meaning has been utterly gutted by the courts. It's like calling a wittol a cuckold. Quite Orwellian.

BTW when written, monthly militia gatherings were wild parties, the best social events in town. Drink, shoot, fuck, gamble, etc. 2nd Amendment is about partying.

They conveniently leave out that "WELL REGULATED MILITIA" part of the 2nd as if it doesn't exist.

 

[sr71plt]

BTW when written, monthly militia gatherings were wild parties, the best social events in town. Drink, shoot, fuck, gamble, etc. 2nd Amendment is about partying.

Sounds like the political campaign rallies George Washington held on his front lawn at Mount Vernon.

 

[sr71plt]

Something Hamilton warned against in the federalist papers repeatedly.

Yes, well, we shot him.

 

[phrodeau]

Let's get the military down to the size where it can be drowned in a bathtub.

 

[RobDownSouth]

U.S. Defense Secretary: Russia is Main Threat to U.S. Security

Washington isn't the only place that pushes the "New Cold War" position. Read the Moscow Times!



Is Putin needing a foreign threat to distract his people? Is this a plan to get more Navel Construction?

The Putin doctrine seems to be one of "opportunistic intervention"....it puffs up the public's perception that he's a "leader" and distracts from domestic woes.

 

[Hypoxia]

Let's get the military down to the size where it can be drowned in a bathtub.

Depends on the size of the bathtub.

Hudson Bay, maybe?

 

[phrodeau]

2nd Amendment's purpose was to grant all residents the right to bear arms in defense of the country; i.e. to not be excluded from joining the "well-regulated militia". The meaning has been utterly gutted by the courts. It's like calling a wittol a cuckold. Quite Orwellian.

BTW when written, monthly militia gatherings were wild parties, the best social events in town. Drink, shoot, fuck, gamble, etc. 2nd Amendment is about partying.

According to Ted Cruz, the 2nd Amendment is "the ultimate check against governmental tyranny -- for the protection of liberty."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/ted-cruz-second-amendment-government-tyranny

Sounds to me like he wishes the NRA was as powerful as the USMC.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

Yes, well, we shot him.

By "we" you mean Aaron Burr I assume.

Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel because he supported Thomas Jefferson for President, denying Burr the office and relegating him to the V.P. slot. Later When Burr ran for governor of New York Hamilton vigorously campaigned against him causing Burr to challenge Hamilton to a duel at dawn in Weehawken, NJ.

Since dueling had been outlawed in New York and NJ Burr was indicted for murder, the charges were later dropped.

 

[sr71plt]

Yeah, like I needed the history lesson.

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

Yeah, like I needed the history lesson.

Obviously I forgot that you were there Mr. Van Ness.

 

[Hypoxia]

Gosh, if the Pentagon couldn't identify numerous threats to USA security then we'd have to cut their budget. Can't have that.

Gotta spend US$800 billion on the F35 that doesn't work. Gotta pump (classified) trillion$ into NSA et al so they can intercept every signal on the planet. Gotta keep arming tinpot tyrants and rebels... who will be the next major security threats. USA has a long history of manufacturing enemies. Keep those 'defense' dollars flowing.

Too bad the Pentagon doesn't know how to win wars. Haven't won one since 1945.

 

[sr71plt]

Obviously I forgot that you were there Mr. Van Ness.

Apparently you were there and didn't see the rest of us if you thought we needed to have a primer from you on the subject.

 

[someoneyouknow]

Russia may be our main threat to security, but depending on which report you believe, Russia will run out of cash either by the end of this year or very early next year. Those figures were based on calculations done at the end of last year on the then expenditure level of Russia.

With Russia's foray into Syria to deliberately bomb civilians and hospitals, those calculations will have to be adjusted, not to mention the increasing costs of maintaining the Russian troop presence in Ukraine AND supplying the terrorists and those under their control with food, supplies, salaries, electricity and so on.

Reagan was able to drive the former Soviet Union into extinction by outspending them (granted, our national debt soared as a result but trickle down economics will take care of that bit). In the current case Putin is doing the outspending for us. His insistence on increasing military spending while cutting everything else (except his theft of millions more from the Russian people and squirreling it away in overseas bank accounts) while the price of oil has plunged and the sanctions for his invasion of Ukraine remain in place, not to mention the falling ruble which isn't helping because Russia produces nothing anyone else wants other than vodka, means at best his forays will be limited though unorthodox to make up for the qualitative differences.

Putin has brought on this security threat because, well, no one is quite sure other than to guess he is trying to partially resurrect the former Soviet Union. Every time he and his proxies open their mouths about why they are supporting the terrorists in Ukraine they blather on about "protecting Russian people" (though what these people need protected from has never been offered except some lies about a non-existent genocide) or how the land isn't really Ukraine. As to Syria, and his support for the dictator Assad, it's the last country in the Middle East in which Russia has a permanent military presence. Since going after civilians and hospitals is easy because they can't fight back, it's a show of force meant for internal consumption but in so doing has revealed Russian military doctrine, capabilities and limitations, not to mention a huge source of electronic intelligence gathering.

Putin may think he's being funny by making us react to him, but in the end, due to the corruption endemic to Russia, no amount of flag waving, political slogans or nationalistic speeches will be able to counter an adversary who can react just as quickly and with more force. As history as shown, if the U.S. is seriously threatened, nothing will dissuade it from expending whatever amount of energy necessary to neutralize or destroy the opposition. If Russia thought it funny it could shoot down a civilian airliner over Ukraine, rest assured, the first thing which happens in modern warfare is to secure the skies. Those Russian Buk missile crews will be toast within the first few hours of open combat, and from there the Russian air force.

 

[Hypoxia]

...not to mention the falling ruble which isn't helping because Russia produces nothing anyone else wants other than vodka...

I would still buy Russian camera lenses and balalaikas and maybe a fur coat but those aren't quite enough to sustain their economy.

...Putin['s] theft of millions more from the Russian people and squirreling it away in overseas bank accounts...

I wonder: In which nation could Putin take refuge with his stolen wealth after he escapes just before the coup?

 

[someoneyouknow]

I would still buy Russian camera lenses and balalaikas and maybe a fur coat but those aren't quite enough to sustain their economy.

I wonder: In which nation could Putin take refuge with his stolen wealth after he escapes just before the coup?

Considering he put a Muslim terrorist in charge of Chechnya who has threatened to shoot any Russian soldier entering his territory, he's pissed off Georgia and Ukraine with his invasions, Moldova is ticked about the falling ruble and the Baltic countries want nothing to do with him, what's the name of that small craphole of a country where the last remaining dictator of the former Soviet Union still exists?

 

[Hypoxia]

...what's the name of that small craphole of a country where the last remaining dictator of the former Soviet Union still exists?

One of the 'stans, I forget which. Anyway, deposed / escaped dictators try to avoid landing in craphole countries with limited entertainment. They usually go to Saudia or France IIRC. I don't know if he'd like Iran. I'll guess Monaco. He might have to send Depardieu on ahead as point-blimp.

 

[smartjuanxxx]

remember this?

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/53107445.jpg

Obama Dings Romney On Russia Remark: The 1980s Are ...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/22/obama-romney-russia_n_2003927.html


will the COLORED FOOL ding the Sec of Defense?

 

[smartjuanxxx]

 

[Ulaven_Demorte]

Did DizzyDummy get his stupid ass banned again or do we have another brain dead Obama hater added to the mix?

Maybe he's off his meds again and his alter ego is breaking through. Schizophrenia is a bitch I hear.

 

[smartjuanxxx]

Not responsive to comments by COLORED Fool