American military reduced 25% under Obama?

[2GunTommy]

If he did cut 25 percent and nobody noticed..then it was probably too big. Personally, i'd like them to focus that on our borders. We can afford to cut back on military and still knock down the low hanging fruit our government goes after overseas.

We can pay for the wall with a few minor cuts, no problem.

 

[colby25]

We can pay for the wall with a few minor cuts, no problem.

I doubt a wall would do much down south. If you've been on the Mexican border you can see that a fence really won't accomplish much. We already have 20 foot fences down there that covers quite a stretch.

They either just build tunnels under there or they literally will propel themselves over it with homemade seatbelt pulleys. It's pretty crazy to see. They also use contraptions like catapult and they will start slinging drugs over anywhere and everywhere. Then they have their posse on the other side to scrounge it up and get it.

Trust me...to fix the problem down south we will have to do a lot more than just build a wall.

 

[Jack V Savage]

From what I can see the military budget was $721B in 2010 and $601B this year, which is a 17% decline in nominal dollars. Adjusting for inflation, that $721B in 2010 would be about $789B this year, which would make the drop 24%.

It's not just Obama, though, and there are a lot of ways to look at the issue. You can focus on the base budget and ignore overseas contingency operations, you can scale to GDP, you can look at it as a percentage of the total budget, etc. Depends what question you're trying to answer. Still, you're going to see a decline of roughly a quarter since 2010 by any measure.

 

[Forkfoot]

If we withdraw our military from their bases around the world and stop meddling in other nations, we can cut it by way more. And people won't want to attack us anymore either.

 

[lfd0311]

were they're really cutting back a lot of money is to VA benefits and retiree pensions. So basically the government is reniging on thier end of a promise. No suprise there.

 

[lfd0311]

If we withdraw our military from their bases around the world and stop meddling in other nations, we can cut it by way more. And people won't want to attack us anymore either.

right.....

 

[lfd0311]

Needs to be cut more... when the only countries who could do us any harm are allies and they would literally all have to team up to stand a chance at beating us, its probably ok to make it smaller.

Yeah... Because China and Russia aren't huge countries or anything....

 

[MusterX]

If we withdraw our military from their bases around the world and stop meddling in other nations, we can cut it by way more. And people won't want to attack us anymore either.

We have military bases in something like 70 different countries. The weird part is that nobody really knows how many we have. If you try to go determine how many bases the U.S. has in foreign countries you will quickly find many different numbers. Nobody really knows. Could be 1000, could be 700, could be 1200.

 

[MusterX]

Yeah... Because China and Russia aren't huge countries or anything....

In terms of military tech though we are decades ahead of both. Its another one of those questions nobody really knows the answer to but its estimated we are anywhere from 10-30 years ahead of the nearest competitor when it comes to military tech.

Consider this, we revealed stealth technology in 1989.

The first combat use of purpose-designed stealth aircraft was in December 1989 during Operation Just Cause in Panama. On 20 December 1989, two USAF F-117s bombed a Panamanian Defense Force barracks in Rio Hato, Panama.

We were actually working on stealth tech back in the 1970's. What do you think we have now that hasn't been used yet? We could easily be 30+ years ahead of anyone.

 

[PolishHeadlock]

It looks like we're getting to pre Iraq when it comes to % of GDP.

http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS?page=2

I

 

[PolishHeadlock]

If we withdraw our military from their bases around the world and stop meddling in other nations, we can cut it by way more. And people won't want to attack us anymore either.

Statements like this make it seem like we have two options. A world with American influence and world without any influence.

I'm not sure they are the only 2 options.

 

[SMEAC]

I love when people post the BS pie graph, try mandatory and not discretionary

 

[PEB]

In terms of military tech though we are decades ahead of both. Its another one of those questions nobody really knows the answer to but its estimated we are anywhere from 10-30 years ahead of the nearest competitor when it comes to military tech.

Consider this, we revealed stealth technology in 1989.

The first combat use of purpose-designed stealth aircraft was in December 1989 during Operation Just Cause in Panama. On 20 December 1989, two USAF F-117s bombed a Panamanian Defense Force barracks in Rio Hato, Panama.

We were actually working on stealth tech back in the 1970's. What do you think we have now that hasn't been used yet? We could easily be 30+ years ahead of anyone.

But but what about China secret projects! The big problem is not staffing of the Military industrial complex its military weapon spending. Take a look at the average costs spent on aircraft carriers. End of the 80's 3 billion dollars today 16 to 18 billion dollars each. The demands for new technology and advance weapon systems continue to drive up costs. Most of this technology never gets used in combat and very little is done in going over the costs these military contractors actually spend on technology vs vacations and payouts to senior managers.

 

[lfd0311]

In terms of military tech though we are decades ahead of both. Its another one of those questions nobody really knows the answer to but its estimated we are anywhere from 10-30 years ahead of the nearest competitor when it comes to military tech.

Consider this, we revealed stealth technology in 1989.

The first combat use of purpose-designed stealth aircraft was in December 1989 during Operation Just Cause in Panama. On 20 December 1989, two USAF F-117s bombed a Panamanian Defense Force barracks in Rio Hato, Panama.

We were actually working on stealth tech back in the 1970's. What do you think we have now that hasn't been used yet? We could easily be 30+ years ahead of anyone.

We've been light years ahead of Iraq and the Taliban, yet they've managed to beat us. We haven't really won a war in decades. We may have more advanced technology, but we dont have the willingness to use it. I don't think that really matters either way to be honest. If China wanted to mess us up, they could. They could shut our economy off right now on a whim.

 

[PolishHeadlock]

But but what about China secret projects! The big problem is not staffing of the Military industrial complex its military weapon spending. Take a look at the average costs spent on aircraft carriers. End of the 80's 3 billion dollars today 16 to 18 billion dollars each. The demands for new technology and advance weapon systems continue to drive up costs. Most of this technology never gets used in combat and very little is done in going over the costs these military contractors actually spend on technology vs vacations and payouts to senior managers.

So it's working...

 

[PolishHeadlock]

We've been light years ahead of Iraq and the Taliban, yet they've managed to beat us. We haven't really won a war in decades. We may have more advanced technology, but we dont have the willingness to use it. I don't think that really matters either way to be honest. If China wanted to mess us up, they could. They could shut our economy off right now on a whim.

Yeah if they felt like doing a murder suicide.

Chinas economy is much more dependent on the US than the US is on China

 

[lfd0311]

Yeah if they felt like doing a murder suicide.

Chinas economy is much more dependent on the US than the US is on China

We're completely dependent on each other. We both understand that, which is why we pretend we're friends.

 

[PolishHeadlock]

We're completely dependent on each other. We both understand that, which is why we pretend we're friends.

We're much less dependent on them and that's going to be even more true when we get the TTP and the African equivalent passed

 

[Jack V Savage]

were they're really cutting back a lot of money is to VA benefits and retiree pensions. So basically the government is reniging on thier end of a promise. No suprise there.

That is incorrect.

 

[lfd0311]

We're much less dependent on them and that's going to be even more true when we get the TTP and the African equivalent passed

We're very dependent on them. They loan us billions of dollars.