Remember those massive sequestration defense cuts causing so much hand wringing in Washington?

[pa28]

Last month President Obama referred to them as "draconian".
http://thehill.com/policy/defense/220205-obama-warns-of-draconian-military-cuts

The Pentagon is calling it "madness".
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/12/us-usa-defense-budget-idUSKCN0IW1GL20141112

John McCain weighed in calling the cuts "unconscionable".
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/McCain-Sequestration-Cuts-Defense/2013/02/24/id/491698/

In post election, newly bipartisan Washington it now looks like Republicans and Democrats are coming together to restore those cuts and rescue the Pentagon.

But how serious were those cuts really? As it turns out, all that "draconian" slashing was just modest reductions in the future rate of spending increases.



Mike Shedlock does a nice analysis and puts it all in perspective at the link.
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2014/11/pentagon-says-stop-defense-cut-madness.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MishsGlobalEconomicTrendAnalysis+%28Mish%27s+Global+Economic+Trend+Analysis%29

[jakeXT]

1. Dick Cheney: Spend More On Defense, Not On Roads Or Food Stamps

WASHINGTON -- Former Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday that President Barack Obama is "devastating" the U.S. military and needs to divert more resources away from domestic priorities such as rebuilding roads and making sure low-income people can get food.

During an event sponsored by Politico, Cheney said the next president needs to "turn around the whole trend" of cutting defense dollars.

"That ought to be our top priority for spending. Not food stamps, not highways or anything else," Cheney said. "Your No. 1 responsibility as president is to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. [Obama] is the commander-in-chief and he's absolutely devastating the United States military today.”

Cheney was a leading advocate of invading Iraq in 2003. He said last month that he has no regrets about waging that war, which carried a price tag of an estimated $2.2 trillion and 190,000 lives.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/14/dick-cheney-defense-spending_n_5585129.html

[Bandit]

6. I will shed no tears when that man leaves this world.

In fact I may just raise a toast to good riddance and the same for when Rush bites the big one..

[arcane1]

7. If we just spent a little more we would be safe!

Instead of spending more than the next 15 countries combined, imagine the safety if we made it 16!

[SoCalDem]

2. The war-beast is hungry

and must be fed mass quantities of cash ASAP and forever.. and Cousin Contractor wants some too..

[JEB]

3. Lots of blood sucking privateers to feed.

[Scuba]

4. Save the Pentagon! Cut Social Security!

It's a bipartisan effort!

[pa28]

9. Social Security chained CPI is on the agenda.

As you know chained CPI cuts the rate of future spending like the sequester but in a way that snowballs on itself. Eventually killing the program.

In that particular case politicians use the language of responsible decision making and the need to "eat our peas".

[spanone]

5. poor, poor bastards...down to what, 6 -700 BILLION per year.?...god help them.

[arcane1]

8. Indeed. We may as well start learning Farsi now. Invasion by Iran is upon us!

[spanone]

11. i suggest they have a bake sale.

[Octafish]

10. So, they went the way of the Peace Dividend, did they?

Cold War over in 1989...Pentagon budget bigger than World War II.

I'd say, "What gives?" but that'd be disingenuous.

[pa28]

12. Spending has doubled over cold war levels even though we are not at war.

I think it's a gigantic red arrow pointing at our real problem.

[bvar22]

13. Sequestration was ALWAYS a SCAM.

Our great leaders in Washington (Democrats & Republicans) figured a way to cut Social Programs without having to take ANY responsibility at all.




No politician from either Political Party has to face the voters back home and say he voted to CUT the Social Programs the majority of his/her constituents depend upon.
"I didn't cut those programs!
The SEQUESTER cut those programs!"
There was nothing I could Doooooooo.
"

There is that plausible Deniability again.
Nobody claims they WANTED The Sequester.
America certainly didn't want it,
but HERE it IS!
and Both Parties get to blame the other.
Now that is an awesome piece of Scamsmanship!!!
It is working beautifully!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!