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Current time: April 29, 2024, 3:33 am

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No Surprise....
#1
No Surprise....
Congress is full of shit. Again.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/2013042...2UIG1.html

Quote: WASHINGTON (AP) - Parked around the airstrip at Lackland Air Force Base are more than a dozen massive C-5A Galaxy transport planes. There is no money to fly them, repair them or put pilots in the cockpits, but Congress rejected the Air Force's bid to retire them.

So every now and then, crews will tow the planes around the Texas tarmac a bit to make sure the tires don't rot, then send them back into exile until they can finally get permission to commit the aging aircraft to the boneyard.

It's not an unfamiliar story.

Idle aircraft and pricey ship deployments underscore the contradictions and conflicts as Congress orders the Pentagon to slash $487 billion in spending over the next 10 years and another $41 billion in the next six months. Yet, at the same time, lawmakers are forcing the services to keep ships, aircraft, military bases, retiree benefits and other programs that defense leaders insist they don't want, can't afford or simply won't be able to use.

Can't even blame the military-industrial complex for this one.
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#2
RE: No Surprise....
It's a bit like that sloshed buddy (and happy for it) who says

"Okay guys, thx, but enough, I can't walk" -but his friends just keep pouring drinks down his throat anyway.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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#3
RE: No Surprise....
What in the ever loving fuck for? I can't even conceive of why.
[Image: Untitled2_zpswaosccbr.png]
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#4
RE: No Surprise....
The reason why is local jobs! Congress and Senate fight tooth and nail to save anything in their own state, but screw the rest or the greater good.
Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere. - Carl Sagan
Professional Watcher of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report!
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#5
RE: No Surprise....
Contractors help this process along - by distributing the manufacture of their products as widely as possible - so that no cut in any particular states funding will lessen their share of the pork come dinner-time.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
Reply
#6
RE: No Surprise....
Correct! I am part of the problem! Sad
Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere. - Carl Sagan
Professional Watcher of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report!
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#7
RE: No Surprise....
Everybody's got a mortgage to pay.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
Reply
#8
RE: No Surprise....
True, and mines is kinda large :\

I didn't over extended myself, but I could have gotten a smaller house for one person.
Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere. - Carl Sagan
Professional Watcher of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report!
Reply
#9
RE: No Surprise....
(April 23, 2013 at 8:14 pm)Dragonetti Wrote: The reason why is local jobs! Congress and Senate fight tooth and nail to save anything in their own state, but screw the rest or the greater good.

It is worse than that. These small, uneconomical useless bases were opened mostly during WWII. Obviously congress didn't take that war all that seriously.

(April 23, 2013 at 8:30 pm)Rhythm Wrote: Contractors help this process along - by distributing the manufacture of their products as widely as possible - so that no cut in any particular states funding will lessen their share of the pork come dinner-time.

That is done but you have the reason in reverse. Spreading the work across states helps prevent congressrats from killing programs that do not benefit their districts no matter how necessary.
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