Why did they close the bases??

[FreedomAngel82]

Does anybody have any ideas for this? Does it have to do with Iran or something? I'm just really confused and wasn't expecting this at all.

[ogradda]

1. I don't think they have enough people for them.

Too many military are overseas.

[Erika]

2. The GOP said it could save several billion $ over the next 20 years

But they've spent over five times that much on our "war" against Iraq.

Bush just talks and the sheep just baah.

[NAO]

3. If Clinton had closed those bases, they would have screamed "traitor"

I suspect Bush is going to contract out our National Defense to some private contractors. The US Military is a big, wasteful, inefficient bureaucracy, you know. The Private Sector can do it better, right? Wouldn't you rather have CEOs running the military instead of some stodgy old generals?

Seriously, just about EVERYTHING the Bush Administration does is interned to gut the public sector and create a wealth transfer from the public to wealthy private corporations.

Grover Norquest said he wants to shrink government down to the size where he can drown it in the bathtub. Now with fully armed military bases, they could just blast that blowhard Norquest with a Sidewinder missile when he tried to drown the government. So they close the bases. After all, those bases represent a lot of money being paid from the Treasury directly to individual Americans. The Treasury is supposed to come FROM individual Americans, not be paid TO them.

[Erika]

5. I agree, but he won't get our kids to die so cheaply

as with the government.

[NAO]

9. No, we will have to pay more for our kids to die.

The private contractors will be paid - they are already being paid - out of tax dollars.

It's a wealth transfer, plain and simple. Take a little from every ordinary American (as taxes) and pay it to the wealthy few (corporations and their stockholders). It's just that simple.

[me b zola]

15. about contracting National Defense to private contractors

I heard tonight that closed military bases have to give the federal government first rights on utilizing those bases. I found this highly suspicious considering some of the bases that they are closing, namely the sub base in Conneticut & Walter Reed. We have been witnessing the merging of State & big-business, and I sense these base closings are a sinister next step in that direction.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. The concept of base closures has been around for a long time

Ten years or more, I think.

The issue, as it has always been, is the politicization of the bases on the list.

And in the case of some on today's list .... the sheer stupidity.

[Erika]

6. Hey, Texas and Florida are the winners

Could there be some politics involved? Nah. Right?

[flordehinojos]

12. no politics. just bush me, mine and me.

:banghead:

[tabasco]

7. Austerity measures, if you can believe that with the military.

The national treasury is in fact empty and Bush will find it harder to shift the bills to the future. I would say everybody should prepare for more shocks like this as the republicans chase their insane dream to drown the government in a bathtub.

They're doing it to save bucks that they need to go through Iraq on their way to Halliburton.

[doublethink]

8. A few other perspectives ....

in this thread from earlier today here .......
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3653456

[me b zola]

16. I'm on our backup computer & I can't link on to anything

Could you please tell me what forum & possibly the name of the thread so I can search for it?

It has really been frustrating, I can't even cut & paste on this computer.

Thanks

[lebkuchen]

10. They are diverting money from what has already been built

to new ventures, such as building 14 "enduring" bases in Iraq, a $600 million embassy in Baghdad, and new or restored bases in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and Khazakstan.

Corporations like Halliburton, Bechtel and Carlyle are the recipients of all those fat contracts, a repeate of what Cheney had ensured when he was Sec. of Defense, about to become CEO of Halliburton.

Cheney still receives payment from Halliburton.

[raysr]

11. Are the closures

in "Blue" states?

[Carolab]

13. They are all over

But they are adding in Texas and Florida...there is a list on DU

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3650522&mesg_id=3650522&page=

[Conservativesux]

14. The next "real war" we are in will be WWIII, We wont need bases..

Just food, water, supplies, and shelter from the fallout.

[G2099]

17. What will base closings do to Econony?

Here is one example, Cannon Air Force Base,Clovis community, economic impact:

By the Pentagon’s count, closing the base would cost 4,780 jobs, including 2,824 base jobs and an estimated 1,956 jobs in the Clovis area.

Economic Impact: Estimated $211.9 million. The base, established in 1942, has a military and civilian payroll of $116.2 million. It also has estimated it's responsible for 770 area jobs worth $36.8 million. A February 2004 study said closing Cannon would cost Curry County an estimated $98 million.

http://cnjonline.com/engine.pl?station=clovis&template=storyfull.html&id=11153

Multiply that by 180 base closings in relation to the current state of the economy: it does not look good to me.

[AndyTiedye]

18. This is About the "Nuclear Option". They Want To Lean on Certain Senators

Snowe, Collins, Specter, they may even get Lieberman (though he'd
have to switch parties after that).

The timing cannot be a coincidence.
They announce this, and suddenly Frist says he has the votes to go nuclear.

:nuke: