McCain: I’m worried about isolationists like Rand Paul wanting to cut defense spending
posted at 8:29 pm on November 16, 2010 by Allahpundit
That’s a fine logical leap he’s made here, but not everyone who supports defense cuts — however grudgingly — does so because they’re an isolationist. I accept them as inevitable simply as a political cost of doing business to balance the budget. If the day comes when Congress gets serious about reducing spending, Democrats will need something to show their base in exchange for agreeing to cuts to social programs. And short of a punitive tax hike, the one thing the left wants above all else is cuts to defense. The trick for McCain and other hawks will be to make sure that dovish Republicans like Paul don’t give away the farm on DOD without demanding reciprocal cuts from Democrats in return. As noted by Think Progress, not only are there at least six Republican senators willing to consider defense cuts, but Johnny Isakson has said that deficit reduction “begins with the Department of Defense.” Er, no, Johnny, it doesn’t. Addressing wasteful defense spending, as Gates has long suggested, is one thing, but balancing the budget will require something deeper than a $100 billion hit to the military. The GOP should be prepared to deal on that — just as soon as we get some commitments from liberals about, say, entitlement reform.
Two videos here, one of McCain via CNS and the other from Think Progress of Allen West insisting that, yes indeed, defense cuts are most assuredly on the table. I can’t wait to see how this rhetorical battle plays out among grassroots conservatives. Two war heroes, one a RINO defending traditional conservative hawkish spending priorities and the other a tea-party icon floating “everything is on the table” budget-saving frugality. Who wins?
Blowback
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Allen West.
the_nile on November 16, 2010 at 8:33 PM
Ron and Rand share the same views on this. Ron just sounds like the ‘Get off my porch’ kind of guy when he talks about non-intervention. Thankfully, Rand is better at expressing his views.
Notorious GOP on November 16, 2010 at 8:34 PM
McCain and Tiddie Graham should just go down to the local TSA HQ and beg for a groping. At least they’d be contributing to someone’s fun.
MeatHeadinCA on November 16, 2010 at 8:36 PM
Agreed, Allen West
I cannot take McCain seriously any more
Kini on November 16, 2010 at 8:37 PM
McCain is just so confused at this point as to what a conservative actually is that he just randomly goes flying off in one direction to the extreme before the pendulum returns him to his normal state of blah.
thphilli on November 16, 2010 at 8:38 PM
McCain is a jackass.
taney71 on November 16, 2010 at 8:39 PM
Allen West wins! I think he is right, everything should be on the table but I trust him not to gut the Military!
bluemarlin on November 16, 2010 at 8:40 PM
Colonel Allen West represents the future…John McCain…not so much. His wife doesn’t even agree with him.
d1carter on November 16, 2010 at 8:40 PM
Wait, she does or doesn’t? The McCains are always flip flopping so you just don’t know if they do or don’t agree. All you do know is that they make your stomach sick.
MeatHeadinCA on November 16, 2010 at 8:41 PM
Allen West
apollyonbob on November 16, 2010 at 8:42 PM
Put up a poll! I bet Allen West wins here by greater margins than he won his district :P
apollyonbob on November 16, 2010 at 8:42 PM
I know how McCain feels. I’m worried about dinosaur senators with flaky wives and daughters who fail to understand that the political landscape has changed and the unwashed masses are paying attention.
Rational Thought on November 16, 2010 at 8:42 PM
Sorry, Mav. We have to cut across the board and that includes defense.
Valiant on November 16, 2010 at 8:43 PM
Yes. Great idea!
MeatHeadinCA on November 16, 2010 at 8:43 PM
Just build that DANG fence, John!!!
honsy on November 16, 2010 at 8:44 PM
Everything needs to be cut. Everything.
A large percentage of our troops need to be removed from Europe as well.
rickyricardo on November 16, 2010 at 8:44 PM
Let Europe defend Europe. Let Japan defend Japan. Let S. Korea defend S. Korea.
Let the US defend the US.
JohnGalt23 on November 16, 2010 at 8:45 PM
Yeah, no.
This is absurd. In order to cut wasteful spending on unconstitutional programs we need to severely cut funding for an explicit constitutional responsibility of the federal government? Bull.
That’s like saying that we can cure your disease but in exchange we have to give something up like your first born child. You know, to show that the disease got something in return.
No. Destroy the disease and keep the first born child.
amerpundit on November 16, 2010 at 8:46 PM
why do we see this as a black and white, cuts or no cuts issue? The defense budget is huge and worthy of inspection and cuts. I am a military guy and believe that we should not defend the DoD budget like the left defends abortion or entitlement programs. It is fallacious to think that every DoD $ cut is transferred directly into a safety issue for troops in harms way. That’s simply not true. The old ways are gone, we are in a depression, we have to cut everywhere otherwise the budget in toto will crush us. Oh wait, it already is…
The overseas mission continues, the CONUS preparation continues, and the budget has to be on the table.
ted c on November 16, 2010 at 8:46 PM
Uh oh… now you’ve done it. ;)
MeatHeadinCA on November 16, 2010 at 8:46 PM
LOL
d1carter on November 16, 2010 at 8:46 PM
Nicely said!
bluemarlin on November 16, 2010 at 8:48 PM
Offer for Democrats: We’ll let you keep the White House in 2012, but in exchange you need to give us control of Congress. You know, to allow Republicans to show that they got something.
Offer for Republicans: We’ll give you the Senate but in exchange you need to vote for an establishment squish nominee in 2012. You know, so the establishment can show that it got something.
Deal? Why not? Because some things are right and some are wrong? Same thing with defense spending. The Constitution mandates the national defense — and clearly we’re not able to do that right now, what with the southern border open and terror cells popping up across the world.
The Constitution doesn’t call for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, prescription drug coverage, home subsidies, corn subsidies, etc.
So we have one responsibility ordered by the Constitution and a whole bunch that aren’t. And the argument is that we need to cut the one ordered by the Constitution in order to argue that Democrats should allow the latter to be cut.
Gotcha.
amerpundit on November 16, 2010 at 8:51 PM
END THE SIXTY YEAR US OCCUPATION OF EUROPE
(etc etc)
Jeddite on November 16, 2010 at 8:51 PM
it is also tempting (but fallacious) to defend the defense budget with the virtue of its patriotic mission and constitutionality. While both the sense of mission and service are noble and just, the defense budget should not be defended from those positions. The defense department is large, full of talented people, and there are areas that can certainly be cut back. There is no conservative worth his salt that caterwauls over cuts everywhere, and can honestly deny the same to the defense budget. If defense is so worthy and virtuous, then its budget is certainly worthy of sober inspection.
ted c on November 16, 2010 at 8:51 PM
Defense, SS, Medicare, everything is on the table John.
Tasha on November 16, 2010 at 8:51 PM
An efficient cost-effective military budget isn’t going to harm our troops or national defense. If we need a hammer, a $20 dollar one will do just as well as the $700 one
Raisedbywolves on November 16, 2010 at 8:52 PM
I worry about McCain and his Chubby little daughter
400lb Gorilla on November 16, 2010 at 8:53 PM
What I would really like to see cut from Defense is that which isn’t really Defense. If John McCain was serious about Defense he would have done a lot more to defend America from the problems along the border.
MeatHeadinCA on November 16, 2010 at 8:53 PM
OT: Charles K just schooled BOR on the complexities of the Presidency…heh
d1carter on November 16, 2010 at 8:54 PM
I know of one military jet that could be mothballed, as the withered crone that used it all the time to haul friends & family about won’t get to use it any more.
Am I serious? Am I serious?
You betcha.
GnuBreed on November 16, 2010 at 8:55 PM
I see nothing wrong with auditing the DOD.
John the Libertarian on November 16, 2010 at 8:56 PM
Yes he did, it was very pleasing!
bluemarlin on November 16, 2010 at 8:57 PM
Yeah, can they sell AirPelosi?
MeatHeadinCA on November 16, 2010 at 8:57 PM
There was an interesting scene in The West Wing.
The officer was asked about a $400 ash try. He took out an ordinary one and smashed it. The glass shattered and went everywhere. Then he took out the $400 one and it broke in like two large pieces.
Not sure if it’s true or not, but interesting nevertheless.
amerpundit on November 16, 2010 at 9:00 PM
Yikes, who would buy that? I think a thorough cleansing and remodel would be needed.
bluemarlin on November 16, 2010 at 9:00 PM
Is McRage getting hard of hearing in his old age?
Paul was talking about cutting WASTE and FAT from the DoD – and I can tell you – there’s a lot of it. The trick is, cutting IT without cutting the MEAT of the DoD. But that doesn’t mean we should allow the waste to exist. Paul is right – we need to cut it.
So McRage goes from basically accusing Paul of wanting to cut the meat of the DoD (which Paul doesn’t) and into an accusation that he, and others are “isolationists” – which they aren’t.
Look – over the last hundred years – we’ve had several “world orders”. Pre-WWI, America was an island nation unto herself. She tipped the balance of the war in WWI and again in WWII. At the end of WWII, Europe was devastated and the US was the only Superpower left to rebuild her – with the Soviet Union as an ascending Superpower.
Next was the US / Soviet world order dominated by the threat of nuclear conflict.
After the fall of the Soviet union – came America as the only superpower …
And now – America has bankrupted herself. We can’t afford to play policeman to the world. We’re going to have share power and influence with the Russians and Chinese.
We have troops all over the world – in places like Germany? Why? Are we going to defend Germany if the Russians hit them? I sincerely hope not – the Germans don’t deserve one ounce of American blood spilled to protect them. That goes for every other European nation also.
We need to rebuild here – and yes, we need a VERY strong military – but we don’t need to protect the fools we’ve been protecting – they hate us.
LET THEM DEAL with the Russians and the Chinese.
HondaV65 on November 16, 2010 at 9:01 PM
^^This
HondaV65 on November 16, 2010 at 9:03 PM
Plus, probably some sort of insect bomb, too.
MeatHeadinCA on November 16, 2010 at 9:04 PM
Here is the video,in which Allen West describes why
he enterrogated an Iraqi,and his method,and the in
famous to Hell and back with a gas can!!
Get the Truth,because you know it will be MSM distorted
down the road!!
==================
Lt. Col. Allen West Wears Controversy Over Iraq Interrogation as Badge of Honor
http://www.breitbart.tv/lt-col-allen-west-wears-controversy-over-iraq-interrogation-as-badge-of-honor/
canopfor on November 16, 2010 at 9:05 PM
It doesn’t make sense to be spending money in Afghanistan if people here are starving. I know that sounds liberal, but our financial situation is so thoroughly f***ed that it is the truth.
WisCon on November 16, 2010 at 9:05 PM
Yes US imperialists out of Britain!!! (and Germany and Italy too)
Ted Torgerson on November 16, 2010 at 9:06 PM
GrizzlyCuda/Gas Can/2012,
or,
Allen West/Sarah Palin/2012!
canopfor on November 16, 2010 at 9:06 PM
First of all, I agree. Countries like Japan and Germany can afford to take care of themselves and they don’t seem to be so appreciative.
Then there are countries like South Korea. They know and we know that they are incapable of defending themselves; however, some of this is because we made them too dependent on us. Talk to the Koreans. They don’t hate us, but they don’t look at us as compassionate liberators. Consider the Beef Deal with the US. That alone was a huge headache. We’re better off maintaining good relations with them and giving them the appropriate time to build a sufficiently strong military to defend themselves… and then stepping back.
MeatHeadinCA on November 16, 2010 at 9:08 PM
Amen.
We can close those places down and continue our fight in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as other places like Yemen in our War Against Terror.
Conservative Samizdat on November 16, 2010 at 9:08 PM
How about cutting spending on NATO and ramp up spending on fighter aircraft?
promachus on November 16, 2010 at 9:09 PM
So what’s the over/under on the number of times McCain, Murkowski and Graham will be in television in the next 100 weeks?
Beto Ochoa on November 16, 2010 at 9:10 PM
The old ways are gone, we are in a depression, we have to cut everywhere otherwise the budget in toto will crush us. Oh wait, it already is…
The overseas mission continues, the CONUS preparation continues, and the budget has to be on the table.
ted c on November 16, 2010 at 8:46 PM
ted c:Amen,nonessential government can get scrutenized
first!:)
canopfor on November 16, 2010 at 9:11 PM
Why is there a NATO? Aren’t they now sharing info with the Russians? NATO is most likely out-dated.
MeatHeadinCA on November 16, 2010 at 9:13 PM
Ok, I am not trying to pick a fight here but the situation you mention happens whether we have troops deployed or not. I think the more clear action here is quit sending billions upon billions of aid to other countries for their food needs and spend some of that here.
bluemarlin on November 16, 2010 at 9:17 PM
In my best Richard Dreyfus voice ” We`re gonna need a bigger bug bomb!”
bluemarlin on November 16, 2010 at 9:19 PM
Oops , Roy Schnieder voice I meant.
bluemarlin on November 16, 2010 at 9:20 PM
Yeah, well, maybe Maxine Waters has one.
MeatHeadinCA on November 16, 2010 at 9:21 PM
O/T
=========
Bikers Rally To Support Boy’s Flag Display
Motorcycle Riders Back Denair Teen
http://www.kcra.com/r/25795718/detail.html
========
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Video: Hundreds ride with boy to show support for his U.S.-flag-decorated bike after school banned it
http://www.theospark.net/2010/11/video-hundreds-ride-with-boy-to-show.html
canopfor on November 16, 2010 at 9:27 PM
Tell that to the Poles.
unclesmrgol on November 16, 2010 at 9:37 PM
The government wastes money. That includes DoD. I love our military, they should get what they need. But cost overuns on projects are a scam. The thinking you have to spend all of your budget or it will be cut is unproductive. Switching money from unit to unit so it can be spent so next year’s budget isn’t cut is a waste. Being told to “order something” because we had money to burn. Being told to buy furniture or supplies you don’t need.
The money is real. We can always give the military more money if they really need it. What is the problem with the military coming in under budget once in a while?
Hog Wild on November 16, 2010 at 9:40 PM
OK. I’ll tell it to the Poles.
We still sold them out to appease Russia. We can still be allies with them without NATO. Right?
If you want to sell weapons to Poland, fine.
MeatHeadinCA on November 16, 2010 at 9:41 PM
I do not trust John McCain as a man, or as a US Senator.
He should NEVER have been nominated to run for president. He handed the win to Obama.
His joining with side groups to circumvent Republicans trying to fight for us, his McCain-Feingold bill, his working with Kennedy, etc., are all examples of the depth of depravity that this man has sunk.
He should NEVER have been elected to another term this cycle.
Why did the people of Arizona reelect him?
He lies about immigration. He is weak on Immigation law enforcement, but he did a salamander change of color to obscure his true record and words. It should be impossible to hide such nonsense, for his actions, voting record, and words are out there for all the world to see, and here, etc., yet the people fell into a hypnotic stance and reelected McCain rather than his more qualified, more Conservative opponent.
Please, John McCain. Be quiet, do nothing, except resign.
Thank you.
William2006 on November 16, 2010 at 9:43 PM
First, to the Herr Doktor cultist here – just stop with the talk of RP wanting nothing but to cut waste and fat. The guy has brought BILLIONS of dollars in PORK to his district over the years. I don’t remember the number of the top of my head, but it’s in the tens of billions all told; so just stop talking about Paul and his devout fiscal conservatism. He loves him some pork and shrimp sammiches. RP is one of the Republican Kings of Earmarks, period.
I too want the defense budget cut, but not at the expense of the military effectivenes. As I said in the headlines thread, there are plenty of other places to cut – Energy, Education, EPA, etc.
The DoD is always the first for people to talk about cutting since it’s such ‘low-hanging fruit’. I was in the military during the ‘cuts’ of the early, and mid 90′s. I retired last November. I can tell you that the military is still feeling the effects of the so-called ‘Peace Dividend’. We’ve talked about it here at HA in many threads.
Another commenter in the headlines thread said we should cut the government – everything, across the board by 10% – as a start. This isn’t a bad idea IF everything gets the ax at the same time. Could the DoD stand a 10% cut? Sure it could. Every government department could.
Don’t think this is a defense of McRino, either. The guy is a patent careerist. He’s like a vulture on certain issues, just waiting for the carrion to hit the ground, so he can feast – attempting to keep himself relevant to a constituency who knows he’s a POS as a pol.
Also, I thought we had done away with the “withdraw our troops from everywhere” nutjobs back in 2008? You people do realize we can’t do all of that, right? Do we really need to have those discussions, again?
McRino sucks. Herr Doktor sucks. They are both con men.
I’ve seen a few posts about Herr Doktor over the last few days, and we got another one about Geraldo and 9/11 trutheriness…and all the weird wackjobs from 2007-08 come out of the woodwork.
WTF!
catmman on November 16, 2010 at 9:49 PM
from those videos, I found nothing disagreeable with what either man says. I am with McCain 100% when he speaks out against isolationism and protectionism, I also trust that any military cuts West may support when in Congress, are cuts that will not jeopardize our soldiers or Super Power status. McCain has sought cuts in defense spending too and it can’t be denied he is a hawk when it comes to National Security, so I believe West will be the same.
What we need to stop doing is destroying out Nuclear weapons, leave them alone damnit!
Daemonocracy on November 16, 2010 at 9:50 PM
Westophiles report in!
HOOAH!
MadisonConservative on November 16, 2010 at 9:59 PM
And yes, I know the post was geared towards Rand, not Ron Paul.
Rand seems to be a smarter guy than his dad, though they do have some similar ideas about stuff. Rand seems to be what Ron might have been without the tinfoil hat.
I stand behind my previous comment, though.
catmman on November 16, 2010 at 10:01 PM
Boy it did not take long for McCain to start attacking the right again!..What a Maverick!..:)
Dire Straits on November 16, 2010 at 10:04 PM
We need a national defense, but these oversees adventures are a bit much. McCain and his demonic ilk want war with Iran, which would be many x more costly than Iraq. That’s why neocons must be defeated at all costs. Neos built Homeland Security and the surveillance state. Bill Clinton also helped institute the latter, to be fair.
The Dean on November 16, 2010 at 10:09 PM
No, I think the Iranian psychopaths talking about wiping Israel off the map and riling their people to chant “Death to America!” want it a tad more, dimwit.
Yes. They protect those evil Jooooooooos.
MadisonConservative on November 16, 2010 at 10:11 PM
They are not chanting death to Switzerland. That’s because the Swiss aren’t all up in their region.
Anyway, I’d like to see Rand put the whole foreign state and national security state/spying state on the table. That’s what his father would do.
The Dean on November 16, 2010 at 10:23 PM
I think Ron Paul would be happy if overall federal spending decreased. Of course, earmarks don’t add to the size of the bills. Quit the gimmicks and cut the budget. How many conservatives voted for GOP ca. 2001-2006 budget proposals. But this time it’ll be different…
The Dean on November 16, 2010 at 10:30 PM
I rest my case.
catmman on November 16, 2010 at 10:34 PM
In McLame’s mind, ‘isolationist’ means ‘getting out of two hopeless wars and stopping trying to babysit Europe’.
Dark-Star on November 16, 2010 at 10:42 PM
Belad, Iraq to Ramstein, 2200 miles, 5 hours.
Belad, Iraq to Elmendorf, 5900 miles, 13.9 hours.
Belad, Iraq to Andrews, 6200 miles, 15 hours.
Landstuhl
Any questions?
unclesmrgol on November 16, 2010 at 10:46 PM
McCain is not a hawk. Barry Goldwater was a hawk. McCain in an Islamic Nation Building obsessive-compulsive freak.
Luka on November 16, 2010 at 10:48 PM
Can we buy an island in the Mediterranean?
MeatHeadinCA on November 16, 2010 at 10:57 PM
Here we are, trying to cut spending, and you want us to buy an island!? :)
catmman on November 16, 2010 at 11:00 PM
Hey, if people don’t want to give up operations in Europe, can we at least do it the right way?
MeatHeadinCA on November 16, 2010 at 11:17 PM
Belat, IQ, to Tel Aviv, 566 mi
unclesmrgol on November 17, 2010 at 12:34 AM
This.
Rae on November 17, 2010 at 1:14 AM
Rand Paul worries me for a LOT of reasons. In my opinion, he’s a nut bag, but at least he’s OUR nut bag.
I wish this new Congress would go big on nuclear power in this country. We could use a couple dozen more power plants and those would create nice jobs.
crosspatch on November 17, 2010 at 1:20 AM
Defense cuts?
I’d like to cut the currrent Commander-In-Chief, first.
Think of the divots we’ll save!
profitsbeard on November 17, 2010 at 1:28 AM
I have no Respect for McCain at all. He willfully threw the race. He was a Joke a total Joke. He is not a Conservative he is a Blue Dog all the way. Can’t believe AZ elected that Old Fart.
sheebe on November 17, 2010 at 3:06 AM
And let Americans put their heads in American sand and pretend that what happens in the rest of the world doesn’t matter here.
xblade on November 17, 2010 at 4:48 AM
RINO bellows, no one cares. Must be getting lonely.
tarpon on November 17, 2010 at 7:14 AM
Truer words were never spoken, Colonel.
Bugler on November 17, 2010 at 7:27 AM
Years ago, there was a Navy base that the Navy wanted to close. That could have saved a lot of money, but it was in a certain Congressman’s district so he refused to let them close it. This kind of thing has got to stop. Let the military decide if bases are valuable to the mission.
As for those in Europe, start charging the host country for them or close them. I can’t wait to see European socialism come crashing down because they have to pay for defense once again.
Kafir on November 17, 2010 at 7:33 AM
It is time to leave many of our overseas bases: Germany and Japan come to mind. We are down to 17,000 in S. Korea and their military has gotten well armed, capable and has taken over nearly every single duty we used to do for them… they can now defend themselves with home grown tanks, missiles, arms, aircraft and so on. If we need a stopover base how about someplace cheap to rent land: Poland or the Czech Republic, both helpers in our recent conflicts and able peoples.
How about limiting aircraft carrier group deployments, extending down-time for the fleet, so as to reduce active fleet units and yet keep a ‘hot spare’ reserve group of ships that can be deployed by thinning the active forces to man them? Ditto for their aircraft. Get a new generation of low profile, low cost, UAV/UCAV carriers that will be faster, more nimble, and have a tiny amount of manpower needed to keep unmanned craft going? Can we, perhaps, decide that the S. Atlantic and S. Pacific aren’t such great places to try and cover? You can downsize manpower costs by shifting and lengthening refit rotation schedules, and maybe beef up the reserve a bit.
For that to be ‘on the table’ the entire suite of ‘entitlements’ also get put up and no crying about them, either. As the Left wants to cut the military, let them know there is a hard tie to the programs making the Nation insolvent and, thusly, economically insecure. Tell them the trade-off is to reduce physical security and increase fiscal security and let more of the American people figure out their lives without the help of the federal government.
Then slash the beast in every other area: Ag, Ed, Energy, EPA, FDA, Federal Reserve, Fannie, Freddie, Ginnie, Sallie, Labor, Justice, NEA… Justice can be pared down and limited in responsibilities, the rest can just go, completely and their real property sold off to the American people so as to get some short term cash into the government to cover the loss of FICA.
Yes, SSA will have to end at some point and the largest tax break you will ever see is that of ending FICA. Let folks deduct their ‘accounts’ from taxes owed, remove the retirement age and continue to pay-out for those already receiving funds.
You want to talk ‘everything on the table’? I can do that.
And it gets us fiscally solvent in less than a decade, by letting the American people fend for themselves and getting the federal government out of their lives, their wallets, their restaurants, their cars, their cellphones, their airports, and their bedrooms. Plus a huge tax cut, too!
But that is real cuts, not just DC ‘reality’ of slowing growth: hack it off or to the bone and get rid of the unnecessary arms of the beast. I’m very frugal. I expect the same of my government.
ajacksonian on November 17, 2010 at 8:00 AM
I’m more worried about McCain and his dreams of Shamnesty than I am about Rand Paul. Call me crazy I guess.
eaglewingz08 on November 17, 2010 at 8:00 AM
I know a lot of the liberatarians are isolationists. This is my biggest difference between me and libertarians.
jeffn21 on November 17, 2010 at 8:38 AM
…Offer for Republicans: We’ll give you the Senate but in exchange you need to
vote for an establishment squishlet the MSM pick the GOP nominee in 2012, like the last time. You know, so the establishment can show that it got something.FIFY!
belad on November 17, 2010 at 8:55 AM
I’ve heard for a long time that Congress has been stuffing pork-barrel projects into the defense budget. I have no problem slashing those. Of course, those aren’t the cuts that the Left wants.
Our forces in South Korea are there now as a tripwire, to assure NoKo that they can’t resume a hot war with the South without us getting involved. Remove them while NoKo is what it is, and the likelihood of the Korean War going hot again goes up.
The troops we have in Germany are more there to protect Europe from an armed Germany, than to protect Germany. I’m willing to reconsider this, but think out the ramifications.
Bases in Europe, that could stand a review, political and technical changes may have changed the need, and the best location, of at least some of those.
New kinds of force projection naval vehicles? Not a bad idea, but R&D and construction will take both time and money. They might well save money in the long run, but it’ll be years, if not decades, before they’ll be available for deployment.
LarryD on November 17, 2010 at 9:37 AM
the Germans don’t deserve one ounce of American blood spilled to protect them. That goes for every other European nation also.
HondaV65 on November 16, 2010 at 9:01 PM
I will send your best wishes to the families of the British soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq by standing ‘shoulder to shoulder’ with the U.S.
It is you that doesn’t deserve one ounce of our blood.
America didn’t protect us against I.R.A terrorism by funding them and giving political support.
Here(U.K) we are on high alert for an attack by dissident
republian groups.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1169828/Real-IRA-threatens-new-attacks-mainland-Britain-Easter-message-hate.html
Are you saying that the U.S should not help us?
Posters can’t say ‘Europe’ is Anti-American but also claim they adore Obama .
He is your Head of State and represents you around the world.
Some Americans has said he is treated like a rock star whilst in ‘Europe’,how is that hating America?
mags on November 17, 2010 at 11:16 AM
Rand Paul is a dove? So being non-interventionist is being a dove – yeah, right. I’m with Rand on it. The restof the world doesn’t like us anyway, we should protect our borders and our economy and let the rest of the world live their own lives as well.
woodNfish on November 17, 2010 at 2:38 PM