Apr 13, 2023·edited Apr 13, 2023Liked by Bill Astore
To properly “downsize the military,” the mission, function, and purpose of that military must be changed FROM protecting corporate and financial institution returns on investment and global access to resources and markets for the accumulation of economic wealth and thus political power, control, and domination.
From that TO protecting the individual American’s Human Rights of life, liberty, property, privacy, and the pursuit of happiness, and the core American values and principles of freedom of speech and press, freedom of assembly and dissent, and freedom of [and from] religion.
But for that to happen, the "Congressional" wing of the MIC must be at least neutralized, if not eliminated altogether. Which ~ given the choices America's Ruling Political Class will give in Election2024 ~ ain't gonna happen.
And separately: Young Americans' reluctance to join the military is perfectly understandable. After all, who wants to die or be maimed in a "Forever War" that has already long been lost even before they were born?
i am reminded of those troops in Vietnam in the 70s who did not want to be the last American killed in that war.
I just want the neocons pot and replaced with sane folk that don't think the dilution to diversity is: kill it. Starve it. Deny it access to free trade. We've been picking g on little Cuba since the Cuban missile crisis. We sanction about 1/3 of the world pop. We overthrough governments.... just because some ass hole neocon just took a viagra pill that particular morning.
I agree with this writer. However I have met some young people who were floundering and were from economically depressed homes who went to military high schools on military bases. They lived under rigid military rules. All that gra duated sèm to have turned their lives around. I am not saying that this regimentation is for everyone.
Somebody tell me again exactly what the so-called “Legislative Branch” of this government is supposed to do and be doing.
Or better yet: Somebody tell those folks on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue up on their Hill exactly WHAT they are supposed to do and be doing.
Congress abrogated and blithely destroyed one of its core Duties and Responsibilities ~ the sole authority to Declare War ~ back three days after 9/11 with passage of the AUMF, giving the White House sole discretionary power to wage war any time and any place it wanted to. Congress’s role was reduced to making sure that all these wars would be sufficiently financed. Which it has done via the magic of Deficit Spending and ballooning the National Debt.
April 15 is the statutory deadline for Congress to complete a joint budget resolution for the next fiscal year. CONGRESS WILL MISS THAT DEADLINE FOR THE 20TH YEAR IN A ROW.
The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 laid out a timetable for the annual process. The president is supposed to kick off the process by submitting his budget proposal by the first Monday in February, A DEADLINE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN MISSED FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR. And Congress has only rarely met the deadlines set out by the 1974 law or a related one from 1985.
"Congress has completed action on a budget resolution prior to April 15 four times since FY1985, the last time being for FY2004," the Congressional Research Service said in a report last year. "In years when Congress has completed work on a budget resolution, it has typically been in late spring or early summer in the months of April through June."
THIS YEAR, NEITHER THE HOUSE NOR THE SENATE HAVE PUT FORTH A BUDGET PLAN, LET ALONE PASS ONE. And Congress is likely to skip the joint budget process this year. "That means that in the past quarter-century, Congress will have taken a pass on a budget in almost as many years — 12 — as lawmakers have actually adopted one — 13," Roll Call’s Peter Cohn writes. "It's become practically optional given other tools Congress has to put internal controls on budget bills, such as "deeming" appropriations limits or statutory spending caps like the ones imposed in 2011 as part of that year's debt ceiling deal."
Cohn notes that the last time Congress adopted a joint budget that wasn’t just meant to grease the path toward a budget reconciliation package was in 2015.
"BUDGETING IS A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF GOVERNING, AND THE FACT THAT CONGRESS HAS NOT TAKEN THIS ROLE SERIOUSLY SHOWS JUST HOW BROKEN OUR BUDGET PROCESS HAS BECOME," MAYA MACGUINEAS, PRESIDENT OF THE COMMITTEE FOR A RESPONSIBLE FEDERAL BUDGET, SAID IN A STATEMENT. "PASSING A BUDGET IS ONE OF LAWMAKERS’ MOST BASIC TASKS, AND IT IS ABSURD THAT IT’S BEEN EIGHT YEARS SINCE WE PASSED ONE THAT WASN’T JUST A VEHICLE FOR BUDGET RECONCILIATION BILLS. IT IS LONG PAST TIME FOR LAWMAKERS TO DO THEIR JOBS AND PUT OUT THEIR BUDGETS.
I basically agree with you all, but at least for enlisted personnel, the esteem issue is a reality for those who get through basic training. The jobs available don't begin to offer esteem. Wearing a McDonald's uniform is nothing compared to a Marine Corps uniform, etc. Talk to kids. I do, did and will.
To properly “downsize the military,” the mission, function, and purpose of that military must be changed FROM protecting corporate and financial institution returns on investment and global access to resources and markets for the accumulation of economic wealth and thus political power, control, and domination.
From that TO protecting the individual American’s Human Rights of life, liberty, property, privacy, and the pursuit of happiness, and the core American values and principles of freedom of speech and press, freedom of assembly and dissent, and freedom of [and from] religion.
But for that to happen, the "Congressional" wing of the MIC must be at least neutralized, if not eliminated altogether. Which ~ given the choices America's Ruling Political Class will give in Election2024 ~ ain't gonna happen.
And separately: Young Americans' reluctance to join the military is perfectly understandable. After all, who wants to die or be maimed in a "Forever War" that has already long been lost even before they were born?
i am reminded of those troops in Vietnam in the 70s who did not want to be the last American killed in that war.
Downsize to zero imho.
Make peace with your neighbors not war.
Peace brother and sistets
This is an interesting complication for recruiting. The new technology won't let recruiters cheat:
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2023/04/10/the-genesis-of-todays-recruiting-crisis/
The most patriotic thing we can do these days is educate the young on how they are not "serving freedom" but rather the lords of war when they enlist.
I just want the neocons pot and replaced with sane folk that don't think the dilution to diversity is: kill it. Starve it. Deny it access to free trade. We've been picking g on little Cuba since the Cuban missile crisis. We sanction about 1/3 of the world pop. We overthrough governments.... just because some ass hole neocon just took a viagra pill that particular morning.
Anyone other than a neocon will suffice.
I agree with this writer. However I have met some young people who were floundering and were from economically depressed homes who went to military high schools on military bases. They lived under rigid military rules. All that gra duated sèm to have turned their lives around. I am not saying that this regimentation is for everyone.
Bill, you’re at your best when you apply your good sense, heavily ladened with sarcasm, to seemingly insoluble problems.
OT, but not really.
Somebody tell me again exactly what the so-called “Legislative Branch” of this government is supposed to do and be doing.
Or better yet: Somebody tell those folks on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue up on their Hill exactly WHAT they are supposed to do and be doing.
Congress abrogated and blithely destroyed one of its core Duties and Responsibilities ~ the sole authority to Declare War ~ back three days after 9/11 with passage of the AUMF, giving the White House sole discretionary power to wage war any time and any place it wanted to. Congress’s role was reduced to making sure that all these wars would be sufficiently financed. Which it has done via the magic of Deficit Spending and ballooning the National Debt.
And now there is this:
CONGRESS MISSES BUDGET DEADLINE FOR 20TH STRAIGHT YEAR https://www.thefiscaltimes.com/
April 15 is the statutory deadline for Congress to complete a joint budget resolution for the next fiscal year. CONGRESS WILL MISS THAT DEADLINE FOR THE 20TH YEAR IN A ROW.
The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 laid out a timetable for the annual process. The president is supposed to kick off the process by submitting his budget proposal by the first Monday in February, A DEADLINE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN MISSED FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR. And Congress has only rarely met the deadlines set out by the 1974 law or a related one from 1985.
"Congress has completed action on a budget resolution prior to April 15 four times since FY1985, the last time being for FY2004," the Congressional Research Service said in a report last year. "In years when Congress has completed work on a budget resolution, it has typically been in late spring or early summer in the months of April through June."
THIS YEAR, NEITHER THE HOUSE NOR THE SENATE HAVE PUT FORTH A BUDGET PLAN, LET ALONE PASS ONE. And Congress is likely to skip the joint budget process this year. "That means that in the past quarter-century, Congress will have taken a pass on a budget in almost as many years — 12 — as lawmakers have actually adopted one — 13," Roll Call’s Peter Cohn writes. "It's become practically optional given other tools Congress has to put internal controls on budget bills, such as "deeming" appropriations limits or statutory spending caps like the ones imposed in 2011 as part of that year's debt ceiling deal."
Cohn notes that the last time Congress adopted a joint budget that wasn’t just meant to grease the path toward a budget reconciliation package was in 2015.
"BUDGETING IS A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF GOVERNING, AND THE FACT THAT CONGRESS HAS NOT TAKEN THIS ROLE SERIOUSLY SHOWS JUST HOW BROKEN OUR BUDGET PROCESS HAS BECOME," MAYA MACGUINEAS, PRESIDENT OF THE COMMITTEE FOR A RESPONSIBLE FEDERAL BUDGET, SAID IN A STATEMENT. "PASSING A BUDGET IS ONE OF LAWMAKERS’ MOST BASIC TASKS, AND IT IS ABSURD THAT IT’S BEEN EIGHT YEARS SINCE WE PASSED ONE THAT WASN’T JUST A VEHICLE FOR BUDGET RECONCILIATION BILLS. IT IS LONG PAST TIME FOR LAWMAKERS TO DO THEIR JOBS AND PUT OUT THEIR BUDGETS.
EMPHASES added.
I basically agree with you all, but at least for enlisted personnel, the esteem issue is a reality for those who get through basic training. The jobs available don't begin to offer esteem. Wearing a McDonald's uniform is nothing compared to a Marine Corps uniform, etc. Talk to kids. I do, did and will.
But 1st the guillotine to all the neocons. Let's storm the bastille in DC.
Offer to make the new recruits generals and admirals within 5 years of enlistment. That should work.