Discussion: 'Gutted?' 'Disaster?' AP Fact Checks 2016 GOPers' False Claims About Military

system1 · January 25, 2016, 3:53pm

Discussion for article #245047

machoneman · January 25, 2016, 4:12pm

Facts? They don’t need any facts!

dnl · January 25, 2016, 4:19pm

JebJebJeb…you should be ashamed of yourself.

538liberal · January 25, 2016, 4:32pm

Gutted is a reference to the fact that some orphan or disabled vet or elderly person is getting food stamps, instead of spending that money on another Raytheon contract. As long as we are spending money on things other than tax cuts for the rich and the defense industry, we are shortchanging tomorrow’s wars of convenience.

1audiofile · January 25, 2016, 4:41pm

Facts, they don’t need any stinking facts.

s_man_48 · January 25, 2016, 4:48pm

GOPers are immune to facts, they get in the way of their narrative.

daveyjones64 · January 25, 2016, 5:02pm

Well, I know for a fact that our horse mounted cavalry is completed gutted compared to what it was in the 1860s.

Thanks Obama.

ljb860 · January 25, 2016, 5:14pm

The military budget is being squeezed by the insistence of lawmakers in both parties that money be spent on bases and equipment that the Pentagon says it doesn’t need.

As on many past occasions Congress wants the money spent on big ticket items rather than bullets and uniforms… in other words more chance for graft/bribes with big ticket items than with those that take care of the troops…

ncsteve · January 25, 2016, 5:21pm

There are three kinds of “cost overruns:”

We have no fucking idea how much it will cost because we’ve never done it before so we’re going to pull the largest number out our ass we think we can get Congress to buy and count on them to keep it going once the thing is half built.
We have a damn good idea how much this will really cost, but if we actually tell it to Congress, they’ll shitcan the program before it starts, whereas, if we low-ball it, there’s a good chance they’ll let it keep going despite the real cost.
We would have brought this project in on time and under budget if not for the incompetence and arrogant cupidity of the prime contractor.

You’ll note that the problem in every case is that understating the likely cost of the project is an institutional imperative if you want to get it through Congress.

*update: It should also be noted that 1 and 2 work best if you spread the work out over a lot of Congressional districts, even though doing so is highly likely to exacerbate the overruns. Which, in a nutshell, is how, as between two of the classic overrun projects, the Superconducting Supercollider got cancelled but the space station got funded, despite similar prices and overruns.

tigersharktoo · January 25, 2016, 5:24pm

And according to all the Republican candidates for President we will pay for the “needed” expansion of our military with…

Wait for it…

TAX CUTS!

You didn’t think they say they would pay for it any other way, did you?

charliee · January 25, 2016, 5:52pm

Seems to me that President Obama needs to increase Planned Parenthood funding by a factor of a thousand.

rob_beatty_walters · January 25, 2016, 5:54pm

Republicans lying? In other news, water is wet, and snow is cold! Film at 11:00.

docmoore · January 25, 2016, 5:56pm

Given their history, I am a little startled to see that there is any “fact checking” by the MSM during the time of active electioneering. There’s not nearly enough of it for the depth of the BS that the campaigns shovel out. I’m sure the AP will issue some sort of retraction .

dickweed · January 25, 2016, 6:18pm

Yea they are kind of stuck in a catch 22. If they tell the truth about Democrats, people will see they offer the best solutions and if they tell the truth about Republicans, they will see that they offer the worst solutions.

humpback · January 25, 2016, 6:20pm

And don’t get us started on the budgets for telegraphs and sabers.

epicurus · January 25, 2016, 6:31pm

What I learned today:

$584 billion > $524.8 million
Republicans can’t count.

pshah · January 25, 2016, 6:45pm

Thank you for this article. While it won’t convince any Republican base voters, it is important to point out the facts for those who still care about that sort of thing.

cessnadriver · January 25, 2016, 6:58pm

Remember Mittens and the Dreadnought Gap?

cessnadriver · January 25, 2016, 7:00pm

We do still have combat tomahawks.

scottnatlanta · January 25, 2016, 7:01pm

If you want an answer to this I would suggest reading the book “The Deep State” which is available as an audible book (and if you are new to that format you get 2 free)…it should answer any question you have about
A. the defense budget being too low (it way too high)
B. how horribly wasteful and inefficient it is.

If it was run well they could do everything they do know with HALF the money they receive. Thats what happens when you create a money pit with absolutely no accountability