Who d'ya expect Bush to put in as SecDef - somebody that knows about the military? No, they want someone who can economize on troops and pad the pockets of the 'defense' industry.
Damn, I'm good!
This from today's Wall Street Journal:
Pentagon Weighs Personnel Cuts To Pay for Weapons
Nonetheless the shift is good news for the nation's major defense contractors, which appear to have dodged major cutbacks in big-ticket weapons purchases. The Air Force often has been on the defensive under Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, whose vision of transforming the military with weapons aimed at countering multiple threats, including terrorists, clashes with some of the service's big aircraft projects. Some of the savings realized through personnel cuts could be used to pay for programs to make the military more adept at fighting terrorists or defending the homeland from attack, defense officials say.
As budget season kicks into high gear and the war in Iraq continues, the Pentagon's calculus reflects its assessment of how to best deploy limited defense resources as well as the spiraling costs of keeping people in uniform. "It can take years for cuts in weapons programs to generate savings," said Loren Thomspon, who runs the Lexington Institute defense think tank in Arlington, Va., and who consults for defense companies. "Cutting people saves money immediately."
I think not sending the 'defense companies' a check might save a lot right now, but then, what do I know? I think perhaps that would alienate a lot of voters who work for them, let alone those fat lobbyist campaign contributions.
Remote-control aircraft? Automated warships? All fine and dandy, I got no problems there.
When they come up with a robotic trigger puller that knows how to use a bayonet and can actually defend this country if need be without bleeding (with no attendant medical cost) and dying, they'll be on to something.
For now, it sounds like they just want to fuck over combat troops in the pursuit of that good ol' government gravy.
Business as usual.
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