Tag Archive
Robert Gates Plays Budget Game
You've seen the headlines: U.S. Defense Department To Close Major Command, Slash Spending reads the one from the Voice of America. Slashing military spending? Is it possible? Have the days of military waste really come to an end? Don't bet on it. There is no slashing. The cuts are not cuts. The budget changes proposed by Secretary... »
Proposed Military Budget Increased, Not Decreased
It has been impossible to miss the story of how furious members of Congress are that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has "slashed" the Pentagon's budget. If you didn't actually look at the budget, but just relied upon the stories told by corporate journalists, whose parent companies often have a hand in military contracting, you would think that Gates had... »
A Littoral Waste
Yesterday's announcement by Defense Secretary Robert Gates that production of the Littoral Combat Ship will be increased was a disappointment to those who have followed the ship's production record. Gates said that the manufacturing pace for the ships will be 50 percent faster than at present. That's a problem, because the Littoral Combat Ship has been an example of military... »
Quotes on the F-22 Raptor
"The reality is we are fighting two wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the F-22 has not performed a single mission in either theater." - Robert Gates, 2009 "Beyond the pure waste of funds, there’s the risk of a self-fulfilling prophesy. The more we give in to defense contractors and build pointless weapons systems while yelling “China threat! China threat!” the... »