Honeymoon Period Over for Kamala Harris Polls Show Tight Race

[rooster59]

Trump to ask for $716 billion in defence spending in 2019 budget - U.S. officials

By Idrees Ali

 

U.S. President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 26, 2018. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to ask for $716 billion in defence spending in the 2019 budget he is to unveil next month, two U.S. officials said on Friday, representing a 7 percent increase over the 2018 budget.

 

The $716 billion would cover the Pentagon's annual budget as well as spending on ongoing wars and the maintenance of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The 2018 budget still has not passed through Congress, the U.S. officials said on condition of anonymity.

 

One of the officials said the request would closely follow the priorities unveiled by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Friday in the National Defense Strategy.

 

Mattis put countering China and Russia at the centre of the new National Defense Strategy.

 

The Pentagon's unclassified, 11-page version of the National Defense Strategy did not provide details on how the shift towards countering China and Russia would be carried out, but defence spending requests were expected to reflect that aim.

 

The U.S. military's competitive edge has eroded "in every domain of warfare" Mattis said, partly because of inconsistent funding.

Congress voted on Monday to end a three-day U.S. government shutdown, approving the latest short-term funding bill as Democrats accepted promises from Republicans for a broad debate later on the future of young illegal immigrants.

 

The Washington Post published the figures for the president's budget request earlier on Friday afternoon.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-01-27

[BuaBS]

It's not like the US has any debt .

[Emster23]

Considering the many brilliant foreign policy moves Trump has made, one might think a larger increase in military spending might be warranted.

[thaibeachlovers]

Only thing surprises me is that he asked for so little.

[mrwebb8825]

You DO understand that this figure comes from Mattis and NOT President Trump, right? 

[pegman]

28 minutes ago, mrwebb8825 said:

You DO understand that this figure comes from Mattis and NOT President Trump, right? 

You DO understand  that Mattis works for Trump, right?

[IAMHERE]

Doesn't seem America is getting much bang for its' bucks compared to what others get for so very little money. I personally am tired of paying for the defense of the 'free' world. Time to bring everybody back to the homeland and spend the money to protect America at home.

[boomerangutang]

Does that budget include $20+ billion to air-condition some military tents in the Middle east?  That's $40,000 / minute,  24/7.   We wouldn't want those guys to get warm and start sweating, would we?

 

The US military wastes so much money, it's beyond ridiculous.

 

How much of that budget goes to Intel agencies?   The same intel agencies which heeded to be told by an independent Brit that one of the US presidential candidates was getting lots of help from an adversarial country to skew the election in his favor - in exchange for under-the-table favors for that adversarial country.  Tens of billions spent on intel, yet US agencies can't see beyond the tips of their noses.

 

 

 

[boomerangutang]

1 hour ago, IAMHERE said:

Doesn't seem America is getting much bang for its' bucks compared to what others get for so very little money. I personally am tired of paying for the defense of the 'free' world. Time to bring everybody back to the homeland and spend the money to protect America at home.

                         I agree partly.  No doubt the US spends insanely too much for military.  If a reasonable person like you or I was in charge of spending, we could save 50%.   But I don't think that money needs to be spent on protecting Americans at home.  Americans are rather safe, except for their fellow Americans who can own as many semi- and automatic weapons as their black hearts desire.  Among the biggest dangers to Americans are gun-loving Americans, and Pharma drugs.   That doesn't need tens of billions of $$'s to fix.  It needs a sea-change in how Americans think.  

[simple1]

1 hour ago, IAMHERE said:

Doesn't seem America is getting much bang for its' bucks compared to what others get for so very little money. I personally am tired of paying for the defense of the 'free' world. Time to bring everybody back to the homeland and spend the money to protect America at home.

http://www.aei.org/publication/5-ways-the-us-navy-marine-corps-and-coast-guards-global-presence-matters-right-here-at-home/

[pegman]

25 minutes ago, simple1 said:

http://www.aei.org/publication/5-ways-the-us-navy-marine-corps-and-coast-guards-global-presence-matters-right-here-at-home/

Bunch of bogus propaganda. World trade would stop if the Americans weren't sending ships to agitate in the Black or South China Seas? Nonsense. It's much more about lobbying and politics than about keeping anyone safe. 

[isaanbanhou]

1 hour ago, IAMHERE said:

Doesn't seem America is getting much bang for its' bucks compared to what others get for so very little money. I personally am tired of paying for the defense of the 'free' world. Time to bring everybody back to the homeland and spend the money to protect America at home.

"Time to bring everybody back to the homeland and spend the money to protect America at home."

 

Yes, I migine most Americans in Thailand would gladly return to the "homeland"  so they can spend their money to protect america at home.

 

Jst think if all  40,000(2010 census) Americans living in Thailand  returned home to live and all 1,000,000 Americans that visited Thailand last year vacationed in America instead

 

Or better yet if all 9,000,000 (2010 census)  American living outside the US returned home and all 66,960,943  ( National Travel and Tourism Office)  Americans that travelled outside the USA vacationed in America instead.

 

The freeways would be parking lots,  the hospitals, schools and universities would be overcrowded,  the public transport system and  prisons would be overwhelmed and the population would be ignorant of the outside world.

 

 

 

 

 

[simple1]

1 hour ago, pegman said:

Bunch of bogus propaganda. World trade would stop if the Americans weren't sending ships to agitate in the Black or South China Seas? Nonsense. It's much more about lobbying and politics than about keeping anyone safe. 

Please read the entire content which covers the Navy, Airforce and Army; personally I think it is an interesting read.

 

World trade would not cease. However, the interdependent global supply train is essential to the US and the world economy and must be protected from threat by way of forward force projection.

 

In 2016, 21 percent of all global trade transited the South China Sea. Do you or others really think it is of benefit for the US to withdraw to an isolationist position and have China control the South China Sea?  In the bigger picture in today's world, IMO, a US withdrawal would increase global instability.

 

Thankfully Mattis comes across as a thinker. On the other side of the coin I do not think Trump is fit for the Office of the President of the USA, but he has the poison pill defence, Pence.

Edited January 28, 2018 by simple1

[Kiwiken]

3 hours ago, isaanbanhou said:

"Time to bring everybody back to the homeland and spend the money to protect America at home."

 

Yes, I migine most Americans in Thailand would gladly return to the "homeland"  so they can spend their money to protect america at home.

 

Jst think if all  40,000(2010 census) Americans living in Thailand  returned home to live and all 1,000,000 Americans that visited Thailand last year vacationed in America instead

 

Or better yet if all 9,000,000 (2010 census)  American living outside the US returned home and all 66,960,943  ( National Travel and Tourism Office)  Americans that travelled outside the USA vacationed in America instead.

 

The freeways would be parking lots,  the hospitals, schools and universities would be overcrowded,  the public transport system and  prisons would be overwhelmed and the population would be ignorant of the outside world.

 

 

 

 

 

I thought that already was the status quo. Sorry We are misinformed

[Somtamnication]

Yep, getting ready for WW3. Idiot!

[jvs]

3 hours ago, isaanbanhou said:

"Time to bring everybody back to the homeland and spend the money to protect America at home."

 

Yes, I migine most Americans in Thailand would gladly return to the "homeland"  so they can spend their money to protect america at home.

 

Jst think if all  40,000(2010 census) Americans living in Thailand  returned home to live and all 1,000,000 Americans that visited Thailand last year vacationed in America instead

 

Or better yet if all 9,000,000 (2010 census)  American living outside the US returned home and all 66,960,943  ( National Travel and Tourism Office)  Americans that travelled outside the USA vacationed in America instead.

 

The freeways would be parking lots,  the hospitals, schools and universities would be overcrowded,  the public transport system and  prisons would be overwhelmed and the population would be ignorant of the outside world.

 

 

 

 

 

I think IAMHERE means the military personel to come home.

[Andaman Al]

I wonder how much of this money will go to Trump's mate, the brother of Betsy DeVos and founder of Blackwater USA, Eric Prince?

[mrwebb8825]

22 hours ago, pegman said:

You DO understand  that Mattis works for Trump, right?

You DO understand that Mattis works "at the discretion" of the president and not for him, right? He was put in charge to run the military which just happens to include internal auditing and the budget from which he makes recommendations to the president.

[boomerangutang]

1 hour ago, mrwebb8825 said:

You DO understand that Mattis works "at the discretion" of the president and not for him, right? He was put in charge to run the military which just happens to include internal auditing and the budget from which he makes recommendations to the president.

Trump is changing the paradigm.  Trump mistakenly thinks that everyone in government works for him.  More specifically, everyone he has appointed to gov't positions should be beholden to him and shield him.  It's mafia don mentality.  Perhaps you've seen the sessions where Trump has some of his appointees around him, and they go 'around the horn' - each one trying to out-do the other - in their gushing praise for their faultlessly supreme leader.  The same boot-lickers will be applauding his every utterance at Tuesday's 'State of the Union' speech.

 

Karma is going to run over their dogma.

[mike324]

2 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

You DO understand that Mattis works "at the discretion" of the president and not for him, right? He was put in charge to run the military which just happens to include internal auditing and the budget from which he makes recommendations to the president.

President has say whether to pull troops back or not. Trump is ramping up military overseas, that explains the increase budget.

[pegman]

3 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

You DO understand that Mattis works "at the discretion" of the president and not for him, right? He was put in charge to run the military which just happens to include internal auditing and the budget from which he makes recommendations to the president.

If that means Trump asks him "to jump" and Mattis asks "how high" then you are right. In other words his subordinate. 

[pegman]

10 minutes ago, mike324 said:

President has say whether to pull troops back or not. Trump is ramping up military overseas, that explains the increase budget.

So where is he invading next?

[jcsmith]

On 1/28/2018 at 9:27 AM, mrwebb8825 said:

You DO understand that this figure comes from Mattis and NOT President Trump, right? 

With the approval of Trump. And who was it exactly was it who appointed Mad Dog to Secretary of Defense?

[wayned]

James Mattis another wonderful choice in Trumps circle.   The Secretary of Defense is nicknamed "The Warrior Monk" because of his bachelor life and lifelong devotion to the study of war. He has never been married and has dedicated his life to war. He knows nothing else.  I'm surprised that it not 1 trillion or more.

[mrwebb8825]

9 minutes ago, jcsmith said:

With the approval of Trump. And who was it exactly was it who appointed Mad Dog to Secretary of Defense?

Budget proposals are not created by the CEO, they are reviewed by him. They are created by the department heads.

Edited January 29, 2018 by mrwebb8825

[mrwebb8825]

3 minutes ago, wayned said:

James Mattis another wonderful choice in Trumps circle.   The Secretary of Defense is nicknamed "The Warrior Monk" because of his bachelor life and lifelong devotion to the study of war. He has never been married and has dedicated his life to war. He knows nothing else.  I'm surprised that it not 1 trillion or more.

His nickname is "Maddog". You'd rather have a flowerchild, married to 3 women with 10 kids that studied philosophy as the head of the mightiest military force in the world?

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎1‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 10:31 AM, IAMHERE said:

Doesn't seem America is getting much bang for its' bucks compared to what others get for so very little money. I personally am tired of paying for the defense of the 'free' world. Time to bring everybody back to the homeland and spend the money to protect America at home.

Only thing that surprises me is why Americans haven't demanded such a withdrawal already. 

Yet, despite all the furore about everything else, Americans seem intent on protecting those that don't want to do so themselves and won't pay for the Americans to do so. They even protect those that insult the US. Seems strange to me.

 

Lots of puzzling things like the US maintaining military support for the Philippines when, if I remember correctly, the Philippines kicked the US out of their bases.

I'd have left them to stand up to China on their own.

[billd766]

34 minutes ago, mrwebb8825 said:

His nickname is "Maddog". You'd rather have a flowerchild, married to 3 women with 10 kids that studied philosophy as the head of the mightiest military force in the world?

 

Better that than a 5 deferment draft dodger.

 

http://www.newsweek.com/trump-branded-five-time-draft-dodger-senator-who-lost-her-legs-iraq-786730

[anon537687643]

The US and it’s guns and military! Little boys with their toys


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[wayned]

50 minutes ago, mrwebb8825 said:

His nickname is "Maddog". You'd rather have a flowerchild, married to 3 women with 10 kids that studied philosophy as the head of the mightiest military force in the world?

Actually he has two nick names the current one and most used is Mad dog, but he is also known as the warrior monk, google it if you don't believe me  I'm not saying that he was not a good Marine commander, what I am saying is that the Defense Secretary must be able to balance the issues and his attitude is the same as Trump's .  A couple of his famous quotes:

  

‘It’s quite fun to shoot them, you know. It’s a hell of a hoot. It’s fun to shoot some people.’

 

 ‘There are some people who think you have to hate them in order to shoot them. I don’t think you do.’

 

Is this really the type of person that we need as the Secretary of Defense?