By Jason Ditz
Speaking to Congressional Republicans during a visit to Greenbrier resort on Thursday, Defense Secretary James Mattis announced that he believes the US military needs to be made “more lethal,” and pushing for yet more money.
After a massive military spending increase last year, Mattis says he wants another $50 billion tacked on for next year. He mocked the idea of the military being an “equal opportunity employer” and emphasized lethality.
Mattis had similarly pushed the idea of making US troops more lethal in September, in the context of pushing for more predictable spending increases. This time as well he complained about continuing resolutions as a funding source, wanting money set out for a longer term.
Mattis says he is hoping to get 3-5% increases annually over the rate of inflation to both build readiness and to compete with Russia and China. The US already far outspends all nations on their military.
Presenting the push for more funds as a push for lethality appears to be popular with hawks, though in practice the US military already kills a massive number of people as it is, and doesn’t seem to be approaching the limit of how many it could kill in a pinch.
By Jason Ditz / Republished with permission / ANTIWAR.COM / Report a typo
Source from The Anti-Media
” War is a way of shattering to pieces materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable and too intelligent”
George Orwell
“WAR is a racket. It always has been.
It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most
vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the
profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.” — Major General Smedley Butler
You can read more at the link.
Frankly, I return to what my uncle and Pap agreed upon. Pap served in WWII & uncle in ‘Nam. My uncle told me “war is Hell brought to Earth. There is never a need for it.” My Pap agreed only adding that defending lives, loved ones, self defense could ever merit any kind of just cause to be violent. I kind of figure they were keen unto something after having briefly served myself.
except for already extant real and legal treaties (Germany, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom), all other troops should be immediately withdrawn, and returned to barracks in the contiguous United States
all expeditionary forces whether in Afghanistan or Syria should be pulled out
if Turkey and Saudi Arabia want to argue about Syria, let them!
and if the military wants more money, Mr Trump should institute even more tax cuts
unless a real war, declared legally by congress is occurring, when the military can get a lion’s share of the budget, otherwise the military should stand at the rear of the queue at budget time – Russia and China, what a laugh, both have littoral navies (except maybe for submarines and spy-trawlers), America already has an aggressive blue-water navy
neither of the other two have C4RSI (AWACS) aircraft that can compete, neither have anything in the way of stealth bombers or fighters
neither, Russia, nor China have anything approaching the lethality of the M1A1 battle tank, nor all of the other armoured vehicles necessary to prosecute an American-style offensive
except to make a statement “look at me, the biggest bully in the schoolyard, i’ve just extorted even more money to make myself an even bigger wanker, you little also-rans (Russia, China, United Kingdom, France, Germany and mustn’t forget North Korea) must kneel and worship me!” there is no reason for the military to get anymore money than is necessary to pay wages of the servicemen and women
A book has recently been written about abolishing the USAF, and re-merging it back into the U.S. Army.
It would be cost effective, and offer current USAF members a chance to become Warrant Officers based on their ‘Civilian Skills’. (the USAF abolished the Warrant Officer in 1959; BIG MISTAKE!)
The Army has more aircraft that the USAF, and more vessels than the US Navy!
Imagine the trillions of dollars saved with an Army that has expanded in-theatre command and control, better fiscal budgeting and use of taxpayer dollars, and use in the rebuilding of infrastructure that is crumbling in the CONUS!
Mattis should be fired and sent to pasture. If having a budget equal to the next 8 nations combined, and 800 bases worldwide is not enough, we need new people with new thinking. These bloated budgets, and the corrupt war industry are much more threatening to the US than Russia or China.
Our chickens**t Congress gets all swoony around men wearing shiny medals and just can’t say no.
“WAR is a racket. It always has been.
It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most
vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the
profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.” — Major General Smedley Butler
Apparently Major General Smedley Butler is censored here. Gee, go figure censoring a highly intellectual Marine.