Closing US bases!

[jmatthan]

At what cost?

Opening 14 new bases in Iraq!

At what cost?


http://jmpolitics.blogspot.com

Jacob Matthan
Oulu, Finland

[enid602]

1. cost

The cost savings of base closings only amounts to $48B. . .over a twenty (20) year period! Clearly, these base closings were announced to bully elected representatives (whose constituents rely on these bases for employment) into supporting the regime's stance with regard to Bolton, the nuclear option, etc.

[enid602]

2. timing

Also, the timing of the announcement is suspect. The announcement will fill media airwaves (and provide much anxiety) at a time when the populace might otherwise be hearing about the Blair memo scandal, which is just starting to filter down to we Americans.

[Psephos]

3. I have a different take on it

I think the chickens are coming home to roost regarding the percentage of the budget consumed by defense spending.

Base closings have been a political hot potato since the 80s. Every senator and representative protests vociferously any base closing proposed for their state or district. Clinton had big problems trying to get a list through Congress as well.

A lot of domestic military bases were established to provide a deterrent to anyone who might think invading the U.S. would be easy once they got past our borders. Well-dispersed and well-equipped forces within the U.S. meant no one could hope to prevail in a conventional war. It was pure Cold War mentality, but the Cold War is over.

Let's close 'em down. Less military is good, period.

48 billion is not an insignificant sum.

Peace.

[enid602]

4. bases

The military budget (God only knows what it does or does not include, or how funny the math is) has gone from $150B annually at the start of *'s tenure to $500B this year. We're actually spending $30B this year to develop star wars, despite continued skepticism as to its plausability and its irrelavance to any potential conflict we'll likely face. $48B over twenty years is peanuts to these folks. I think the announcement is purely political.

[OneBlueSky]

5. $48 billion is, what . . . six months of the Iraq war? . . . if that? . .

and the question remains . . . what are those 14 new bases in Iraq costing us? . . . betcha it's a hell of a lot more that $48 billion . . . particularly since Halliburton and Bechtel will no doubt be heavily involved in their construction . . .

[SouthernDem2004]

7. There will not be less military.

They are just moving them around not decreasing their numbers. In fact they are looking to increase the size of the Army.

[Swamp Rat]

6. Hyvää huomenta

:hi: