Abu Muqawama: Post
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On Weapons Systems and Jobs Programs
Yesterday's New York Times carried a needed editorial on spending more tax dollars to support the F-22, an aircraft whose production run has been capped at 187 by the Department of Defense but extended by the Congress. Today's Washington Post helps us understand why, with this story on the way in which small towns rise and fall with weapons programs. It's hard not to pity the people of Owego, but this is the kind of stuff that happens when weapons programs double in cost.
It's also hard not to feel annoyance with allegedly conservative congressmen who praise the free markets -- and accuse the president of "socialism" -- yet continually vote to fund what have become massive federal jobs programs. And at some point, elected leaders have to look the people of Owego in the eyes and break the news that large projects to build weapons systems are to strengthen the nation's defense -- and not to revive industrial centers or provide jobs. It's awfully tough to break the news to the people featured in this article, but necessary all the same.
Sorry, Owego.
Amen.
Amen.
Whether or not the F-22 is
Whether or not the F-22 is needed, it is quaint to see Democrats and the Times suddenly worried about spending tax dollars wisely.
But. but. but. The anonymous
But. but. but. The anonymous 16 year old kid is going to wipe Obama of his cellphone answering! Why does Obama hate Owego? Its all a part of the plan for establishing the Kaliphate, I tell you.
How dare those
How dare those congresscritters exercise their Constitutional authority?! How dare they buy something the military doesn't want!
Seriously, AM, you're just noticing this now? Is it only because it's the F-22 - a program you really don't like?
Politics and politicians are what they are, regardless of party or political persuasion. One might argue that most of the federal budget is about sending the federal bacon back home and has been ever since this country got a federal income tax. Federal money = jobs. Virtually every budget decision is made, in part, on how it affects the constituents back home - it's called politics and it ain't going away anytime soon.
Jobs program? Take a look at the National Guard, of which I'm a member. You think Congressional decisions on how many billets each state receives has much to do with military efficacy? Seriously, take off your F-22 blinders for a minute and take a hard look at how Congress makes funding decisions.
I wonder if Abu Muqawama is
I wonder if Abu Muqawama is annoyed when moderate or even liberal representatives in congress do the same thing he has mentioned. Such as jab on his part makes it look like that he actually believes representatives in other camps are immune to it!
Dear Dr XM, WTF do you think
Dear Dr XM,
WTF do you think the Beltway is, and all those think tanks, and all those useless, effete, latte sipping lawyers in ARLINGTON and elsewhere but a giant fucking jobs program for useless, parasitic weeds who are sucking the lifesblood out of industrial communities (you know, people who make something other than motions, useless papers most people won't read or apply as policy) and have destroyed the abiltity with their regulations, lobbying, taking money from foreign nations, taking bribes..to make anything in the USA anymore. Defense is the last sector we have. That area used to be an industrial powerhouse. And economically sound. You may want to compare the unemployment rate for DC- 5.6% and falling- to the rest of this country - 9.4% and rising - before you tell us to eat garbage for the winter. Ask yourself why the richest, most powerful and productive nation on earth now has most of it's money concentrated between DC and NYC, and your neighbors fucked that up too!! When you weren't flat out selling us all out, on a bipartisan basis. And it's still not enough!!
Jobs programs? Well at least they make something (in this country). What's the liberal idea of a jobs program? ACORN - I guess. They got 2 billion from the stimulus, probably to rig the census. Oh, I know what a real job is: Chicago Hospital Diversity coordinator = 300K annual.
Oh and John McCain? In the pocket of the Baby Bells, he helped fix their de facto monopolies on local service.
Fuck the Iranian revolution!! WE NEED A SECOND AMERICAN REVOLUTION, AND IT CAN BEGIN BY DESTROYING THE BELTWAY AND IT'S CORRUPT PARASITIC SINECURE CLASS.
DC is not part of the solution, it's the rotten cancerous core of the problem.
If anyone in the gutted out Midwest read this blog they might well echo the statements above.
Try not to be so smug about ruining the country, OK?
And Fnord? BUTT OUT.
Don't hold back there, Elf.
Don't hold back there, Elf. Too much Red Bull?
(I kid, I kid....)
The tea party cities for
The tea party cities for July 4th have now grown to 1267 American cities. That's 467 more than showed up for Tax day party on April 15th. And it seems to grow 10-20 cities or towns per day. Now at 25 cities in NJ, 2 more since I last checked.
And if anyone thinks I would give the Repubs or so called free marketeers a free ride (other than in the Irish sense) ask me about free trade. Go ahead. My name is Elf but, everyone calls me pyscho....and Free Traders? CNBC? You're on the list.....
Oh, sorry Fnord about being blunt. If they turned Oslo into a ghost town and closed all your businesses, put all of you on welfare, you'd be touchy too.... peace.
And send me a big Viking sword. I have work to do....
AM only needs to look at the
AM only needs to look at the Board of Directors of CNAS to see Industry influence. Mackay isn't on CNAS's board of directors because it's his way of providing a public service, he's on it to shape and influence policy so he can make more sales.
Man, that editorial was
Man, that editorial was terrible.
That's about 1/571th of the estimated cost of Barack Obama's health care plan. You're telling me we can't spare that kind of money so as to make sure that the production line for replacement parts for the 187 we have are profitable to make?
Because we all know that fighter jets are completely obsolete, and the F-16 and F-15 will last forever, eh, NYT?
It's rather hard when they're just finishing up on the first batch of them.
Aircraft carriers and nuclear missiles have never fought directly in Afghanistan. Should we sell them off?
Another three years for an inferior jet. But hey, the current jets have lived for 30 years and many of them are still flying - what's three more?
It has inferior stealth, and we want the best, because we want our equipment to last. You know, sort of like how we can still use F-16s and F-15s even though they were designed and built in the 1970s and 1980s.
Umm, Elf, have anyone found
Umm, Elf, have anyone found out what happened to the first installment of the stimulus package that went out under Bush? I cant find any oversight of that 350 billion at all. (Sorry to disappoint you, but vikingswords were small and usually quite blunt. An axe might do you better...)
Fnord, I was no fan of the
Fnord,
I was no fan of the Bush stimulus, and we can't find any oversight of any of the money then or since...what we do know is Paulson recently was quite direct that he spent it as he saw fit. The same pattern continues now, essentially we are in Bush's 3d term. On most policies. These ruinous bipartisan gangsters (apologies to gangsters, most are good with money) behave as they like. Rather the point in truth of the tea parties, to drive home to them between now and 2010 that we don't like the increasingly reckless way they behave, and we don't like that our Jeffersonian democracy has been slowly frittered and regulated away to the point where they begin to behave like the banana Republic leadership they in fact are.
Want oversight? OK. $2.6 million of the stimulus is going to teach Chinese prostitutes to drink responsibly on the job. Ahem.
If there's going to be taxpayers money spent training prostitutes responsible drinking, I want it to go to American prostitutes. I suppose leftists would say that makes me racist or jingoistic. So be it.
Which is a bit changing the thread here, Fnord. The thread is on dismantling one of our last remaining industries by this smug clique of parasites in DC who are driving out businesses with taxes, regulations, shakedowns they call "campaign contributions" and just plain hostility. You've worked in a factory you say? That's becoming an endangered species over here, soon to be extinct. Our governing class prefers lawyers, bureaucrats and community organizers to people who make things.
Actually an axe is ideal. As a down payment on the Guillotine.
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