Doom scenarios for U.S. budget cuts may be overplayed
“Somehow, the idea that if we go back to 2007 military funding levels we’re going to be a second-rate power, well that’s overdoing it,” said Lawrence Korb, a senior fellow with the Center for American Progress and a former U.S. assistant defense secretary.
“If you kept this cut, you’re back to $500 billion a year. I find it hard to get that worried about it,” Korb said, noting that this was still vastly more than any other country spends on its military…
But even on the domestic side, the predictions of gloom are subject to hyperbole and political calculation, he said.
“If I’m the administration, I’m going to ramp up the biggest and most horrible effects I can to put pressure on the Republicans” to reach a deal to prevent the cuts.
Werfel acknowledged that, unlike a government shutdown, not all of the effects are going to happen immediately when the cuts begin on March 1.
Blowback
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Right. Military doomsday scenarios are always “overplayed”. Until one isn’t. At which point it is too late and you are lucky to survive.
Historically, predictions of military need are notoriously wrong. Even in victory the subsequent costs in treasure and blood are much higher than they otherwise would have been.
Our military equipment is getting older and older as we cancel programs for new replacements and cut way back on planned acquisitions.
Just one example… The AF is flying a lot of combat aircraft that were designed in the late 60′s and 70′s, well before most of the pilots were born. In many cases they were built before the crew was born.
farsighted on February 16, 2013 at 6:12 PM
The doom scenarios for NOT cutting government are UNDERPLAYED.
HondaV65 on February 16, 2013 at 6:13 PM
Generalissimo Obama, War Monger?
I don’t think that will work. I doubt it will be tried. The Dems historically support almost any and every cut in defense spending anyone can think of.
More likely they’ll just sit back and wait for Republicans to cave and give them the domestic spending they want in return for defense spending. It’s what they have almost always done.
farsighted on February 16, 2013 at 6:19 PM
Defense spending — about 20% of the federal budget and about 4% of the GDP. Obviously this is the source of all of our economic problems. /
farsighted on February 16, 2013 at 6:23 PM
I’m cool with that, so long as we admit that the doom scenarios of cutting entitlements are even more fantastically overblown.
TexasDan on February 16, 2013 at 6:26 PM
You mean like the Dems have done with the last “fiscal crisis”, and the one before that, and the one before … They always try to say how government will shut down, and we know it will not. The only real harm might be to the military. Prezy Zero is all for cutting back there.
IrishEyes on February 16, 2013 at 6:27 PM
I’m with you, TexasDan.
What “concerns” me most is how the sequester will negatively affect Nancy Pelosi’s dignity.
onlineanalyst on February 16, 2013 at 7:30 PM