Gutting the military

9 Responses to Gutting the military

1. Wombat says:

   April 13, 2015 at 20:29

   Give the man a cigar.

   Sadly, if the armed forces of the USA aren’t being neutered by the Democrats they’re being fed into pointless meatgrinder scenarios by the Republicans.

   As budgets get tighter and tighter, governments would be wise to foster the rise of private military operations.

   Take a look at the cost of (fruitlessly) trying to stop piracy around Africa when done from the ass end of a battleship versus simply sticking a couple of mercs on each merchant vessel.

   The results are already speaking for themselves. The mercs cost a fraction of the anti-piracy insurance, much less the cost to the taxpayer of having navy assets roaming around trying to catch five Somalis in a dinghy.
   • The Gantt Guy says:

     April 13, 2015 at 20:45

     
     • KG says:

       April 14, 2015 at 05:35

       Which is all well and fine – until a country like China, with a massive military, decides to play, and the PRC navy is rather more than a few Somalis in a dinghy.
       You never need a large and effective military machine – until you do.
       And all that “roaming around” guarantees the open sea lanes we rely upon for trade.
       I don’t fancy the libertarian bullshit of handing over what responsibilities rightly belong to the State to the Coca-Cola corporation, thanks.
       The lack of effectiveness concerning navies and pirates has everything to do with the armed forces being crippled by ROE’s, nothing else.
       “As budgets get tighter and tighter, governments would be wise to foster the rise of private military operations.”
       Crap.
       It’s a question of priorities and will, not a shortage of cash. And “private military operations” will tend to do what corporations always do – look to expand, by corrupt means or fair. And when that corporate mindset triggers all-out war, who you gonna call?
       • The Gantt Guy says:

         April 14, 2015 at 07:43

         Agree with your comment, KG. I saw wombat’s initial comment as an attempt to respond to exactly the issue you identified – that the problem is restrictive ROEs and a lack of will to win.

         I didn’t see it (and I confess, it’s highly likely I misread it) as a suggestion to close down national military operations, but re-task them. Use military personnel in conflict situations and let them operate in a way that success is at least one of the options on the table. Leave dealing with Somali pirates to private contractors.
         • Darin says:

           April 14, 2015 at 10:55

           The solution to Somali pirates is simple,wipe Somalia off the map.Who would miss them?
           • Wombat says:

             April 14, 2015 at 12:27

             Perhaps I should have been a bit more precise.

             What’s the point of spending X million dollars chasing Somalis in dinghys when A) it doesn’t work, and B) that money could be better spent elsewhere in the military.

             I’m not advocating for slashing military budgets, but belts are going to tighten whether we like it or not, so money has to be spent smarter, and trying to stop entry level piracy off of the African coast is not an effective means of doing that.

             Personally I don’t recall Blackwater taking out contracts on American citizens. In fact, they seem to be more loyal to America than the average American. These guys have to live somewhere and most of them were honorable American soldiers sick of being paid and treated like dogs, so no, private military organisations do not automatically mean amoral military organisations.
             • KG says:

               April 14, 2015 at 13:05

               “..private military organisations do not automatically mean amoral military organisations.”
               I never suggested they did, Wombat, merely that they could.
               • Wombat says:

                 April 14, 2015 at 21:37

                 Same as the government, but the private sector at least answers to someone.
2. Ronbo says:

   April 13, 2015 at 23:32

   The same thing happen when Carter was president in the 1970s….the motor pool didn’t have gas…the stateside infantry didn’t have bullets…Only one Army division was rated as combat ready, the 82nd Airborne, by 1980 -low pay scales that forced military families on the Army Relief Fund…Re-enlistment dropping to record lows as the troops took up higher paying jobs in the fast food industry…Politically Correct mandatory classes in racism, sexism, etc.

   I saw it all before – up close and personal – it happens every time a Democrat is CIC.