While we are at it, let's close all our Eurpean military bases.

[fishtaco]

There was a stimulus package? Aside from a half dozen guys doing "something" to the rail road crossing down the road from me I have not seen much being stimulated in my little rural county in Oregon. The best thing is also that except for leaning on their brand new service trucks I really can't figure out what they did for the two weeks they where around. They did have a nice sign though about putting Oregon back to work with stimulus money. My guess is they did not even live in the county.
Fishtaco

 

[darthtang aw]

Originally Posted by bionicarm
http:///forum/post/3138739
With the exception of Cash For Clinkers, and agreeing to the previous bailouts and stimulus packages generated from the previous administration, what government spending has he done? Every other program he wants to enact is just talk right now.
Regardless if everything else is just talk...it is still what he wants to do and by no means do these ideas represent fiscal responsibility........
So if you pass a stimulus package, and then try to pass more legislation that isn't paid for and adds to the deficit, this makes you fiscally responsible? Then hell, Bush was the most fiscally responsible president we have ever had and you have no room to complain.

 

[darthtang aw]

Originally Posted by Fishtaco
http:///forum/post/3138779
There was a stimulus package? Aside from a half dozen guys doing "something" to the rail road crossing down the road from me I have not seen much being stimulated in my little rural county in Oregon. The best thing is also that except for leaning on their brand new service trucks I really can't figure out what they did for the two weeks they where around. They did have a nice sign though about putting Oregon back to work with stimulus money. My guess is they did not even live in the county.
Fishtaco

Yeah I have seen that here as well....minus the couple guys...just orange barrels on the side of the road with the stimulus money usage sign........not sure what is being done, but I guess the orange barrel company is making a killing right now.

 

[zman1]

Darth here in the stl metro area there is more than orange barrels. These jokers are not only closing and reducing major highway lanes, but also the alternative road as well at the same time. I am just aggravated at the planning

. They are getting done early on some - the bonus incentive for early completion has them moving pretty good... They do try to do the work late evenings to early morning. That may be why you only see barrels and no workers.

 

[usirchchris]

Originally Posted by bionicarm
http:///forum/post/3138487
Isn't Obama the second coming of Hitler?
I wouldn't call Obama a military sissy. I'd call him fiscally responsible and a realist.
As for the first comment...I am still lost. A terrorist perhaps, but I would not compare anyone to the likes of your suggestion.
As for your second comment.

This does not surprise me, coming from you, at all. You couldn't possibly say that out loud with a straight face.

 

[zman1]

Originally Posted by reefraff
http:///forum/post/3138187
I am all for pulling out of Europe. Then the next time they get nervous about Russia or China we can make then crack open the checkbook before we return.
I just hope Gates is right about that missile defense system.
I agree with you on this, the whole of Europe, not just eastern Europe missiles. Fishtaco is correct, we lease the land from the countries we have bases/posts/ports in. I was looking up my old post in Germany - It's gone, the Germans have turned it into a commercial business center and housing to rental...
Just think of the boost to local US economies if we had the military back home. However, having a large standing military at home has been at odds since the founding of our country...

 

[darthtang aw]

Originally Posted by zman1
http:///forum/post/3138797
Darth here in the stl metro area there is more than orange barrels. These jokers are not only closing and reducing major highway lanes, but also the alternative road as well at the same time. I am just aggravated at the planning

. They are getting done early on some - the bonus incentive for early completion has them moving pretty good... They do try to do the work late evenings to early morning. That may be why you only see barrels and no workers.

They must be working between 12:30 midnight and 6 a.m. then....lol Since I drive that road constantly from 6 a.m. to 12:30 at different times of the day.
I hear you on the planning though....I would love to meet my city plnner face to face one day, just so I could politly explain to him why construction should not be done on 4 major roads cutting them from 3 lnes to 1 lane during the day.....with my foot.

 

[spanko]

If you did bring the military personnel home, what would they do for work? There is close to 10% or the population out of work right now.
But I do agree, we should not have our military stationed all over the world. And to take it a step farther we should not be sending American tax payer dollars to help other countries either.

 

[reefraff]

Originally Posted by Fishtaco
http:///forum/post/3138752
I agree in theory, but remember we do have the hospital in Germany that is treating our war wounded, so we can't get rid of everything all that easy.
But I do see lots of good reasons for closing most bases in Europe and letting them fend for themselves. Could you imagine the boost to the economy of lots of places in the states if those units where posted here and we could actually re-open a few closed bases? Also I do believe we pay "rent" on most of our overseas bases, here is a crazy idea, everytime the cost of a B-2 bomber is reached in savings on "rent", build one since they can reach anywhere on the planet.
Fishtaco
The base in Germany is very important logistically. I think that is the only base we should have there.

 

[darthtang aw]

Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/3138819
If you did bring the military personnel home, what would they do for work? There is close to 10% or the population out of work right now.
The same thing they do over there. Train, drill, and field exercises. When we were stationed in Germany my dad did the same thing he would do when stationed stateside. The only significant difference is those bases near or in war zones.

 

[fishtaco]

Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/3138819
If you did bring the military personnel home, what would they do for work? There is close to 10% or the population out of work right now.
But I do agree, we should not have our military stationed all over the world. And to take it a step farther we should not be sending American tax payer dollars to help other countries either.
That's easy, let them continue to be in the military, those in Iraq and Afghanistan can use all the help they can get. Nothing wrong with keeping a strong military even if at some point in the future we do resolve the problems in the middle east or I guess we could just give those military paychecks to the people on Wall Street with more deals like TARP.

Fishtaco

 

[darthtang aw]

We will be moving them all to afghanistan and Iraq soon anyway in preparation for the war with Iran........you heard it here first.

 

[spanko]

Originally Posted by Darthtang AW
http:///forum/post/3138833
We will be moving them all to afghanistan and Iraq soon anyway in preparation for the war with Iran........you heard it here first.
So will that be under the current president do you think?

 

[darthtang aw]

Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/3138838
So will that be under the current president do you think?

That all depends on Iran. I was reading where the international nuclear watchdog was saying Iran has the information and almost the technology to build a bomb now. And they are working on the transportation kinks as well (missle deployment and such). I look at Iraq and Afghanistan and I believe those were/are mere staging grounds being prepped by the powers that be for a much bigger and far worse conflict with Iran. Hence why I think Obama has increased troop strength in Afghanistan....and really hasn't sped up the withdrawl from Iraq as he was stating early on. I think he sees something that Bush before him was shown and is now finishing up the groundwork lain. Strategically Afghanistan and Iraq are great staging points for an Iran invasion......
So if push comes to shove, yes I see Obama pulling the trigger on that. The Israelis would have done it already if they could...so something is holding them back...which leads me to believe an attack on the nuclear facility would result in a nuclear blast and fallout....so right now, Iran is already hot....

 

[fishtaco]

Originally Posted by Darthtang AW
http:///forum/post/3138833
We will be moving them all to afghanistan and Iraq soon anyway in preparation for the war with Iran........you heard it here first.
I don't see how that would be possible given the current situation. I also don't think Israel would get much support either.
Fishtaco

 

[darthtang aw]

This is also why I am not to surprised at the change in the european missle shield. It makes sense to have it be mobile....what irritates me is the timeline for it's completion now.....Who cares if Russia gets mad at us...do the first plan and when the new one is operational switch it over. So as it sits now, there will be NO shield till 2015 or so from what I am reading.

 

[darthtang aw]

Originally Posted by Fishtaco
http:///forum/post/3138854
I don't see how that would be possible given the current situation. I also don't think Israel would get much support either.
Fishtaco
What current situation would prevent this scenario from happening?

 

[fishtaco]

Originally Posted by Darthtang AW
http:///forum/post/3138859
What current situation would prevent this scenario from happening?
The fact we are still far from done in either country and opening up a third front would be no-win situation. The news does not accurately cover how bad things are in Afghanistan, I sometimes chat with a Canadian service member over there on his second combat tour and go by what he says. I also don't think the fact the families of our own local guard unit had a sleeping bag and warm clothes drive for our guys stationed over there as a good sign that all is well with our own military. For what it's worth I am definitely a books not bombs type of person even though I really enjoyed my service to my country and I think we could have accomplished about the same thing in Iraq for a lot less money and a case of 50. caliber sniper rounds. Now I hear that China is getting in on oil industry in Iraq too and that really makes me wonder WTF as I watch the price of gas hit almost 3.00 dollars again yesterday.
Fishtaco

 

[reefraff]

If there is a war with Iran there won't be boots on the ground. Either a surgical air strike to take out a nuke facility or an all out bombardment to retaliate for a strike or Israel.

 

[oscardeuce]

Originally Posted by bionicarm
http:///forum/post/3138487
Isn't Obama the second coming of Hitler?
I wouldn't call Obama a military sissy. I'd call him fiscally responsible and a realist.
Fiscally responsible? He's taken Bush's high spending and trillioned down.
Yup, I said it Bush spent too much.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtwRcZXrz0k
You know where he stands: less defense, more social programs.
What happened to "provide for the common defense" Mr. Obama.