Originally posted by carpedm9587
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The Hypocrisy of Chuck Schumer
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Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
Than a fool in the eyes of God
From "Fools Gold" by Petra
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Originally posted by Mountain Man View PostI agree that accountability is a good thing, and I'm with you, the military doesn't deserve carte blanche without regulation. I was more responding to the fact that the US has a larger military budget, percentage wise, than any other developed country. I just get tired of seeing that statistic thrown around as if it's damning in and of itself when there is some important context that is often ignored.The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy...returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Martin Luther King
I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong. Frederick Douglas
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Originally posted by carpedm9587 View PostIt is not damning. It IS, however, indicative of the importance of accountability. At $622B in 2018, the military part of the U.S. budget is the second largest part of the budget, second only to Social Security, and followed by Medicare and Medicaid (https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-feder...akdown-3305789). Social Security is supposed to be fully paid for by the Social Security tax on all of our paychecks, but the federal government has been borrowing against the overpayments made over time, which means it now needs to start paying back some of that in order to keep the Social Security pot solvent. Meanwhile the military part of the budget has no oversight, and yet there are demands to add $50B to that budget. Before we add a penny, I want to know what is being done with what they already have, and why it is that the enormous sum currently being paid is not adequate to meet the need. If it's not, and that is shown to be true, I'm all for the additional funds. If there is fiscal mismanagement and they could get the extra $50B by simply cleaning their fiscal house - then I am not.
You and MM aren't wrong - but there's a point neither of you have mentioned - exacting audits can kill soldiers. The reason is that funding information is a form of intelligence that can reveal a surprising amount about what the military is doing - sometimes with deadly results.
The $200 hammer hides research into weapons, deployments and tactics.
finding a responsible middle ground isn't always so easy."He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot
"Forgiveness is the way of love." Gary Chapman
My Personal Blog
My Novella blog (Current Novella Begins on 7/25/14)
Quill Sword
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Originally posted by Teallaura View PostYou and MM aren't wrong - but there's a point neither of you have mentioned - exacting audits can kill soldiers. The reason is that funding information is a form of intelligence that can reveal a surprising amount about what the military is doing - sometimes with deadly results.
The $200 hammer hides research into weapons, deployments and tactics.
finding a responsible middle ground isn't always so easy.The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy...returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Martin Luther King
I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong. Frederick Douglas
Comment
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Originally posted by carpedm9587 View Post"Accountability" and "Public" aren't synonymous. It is possible for audits to be conducted by people with the required security clearances, and for accountability to be to selected members of Congress, or an independent watchdog, again with the appropriate security clearances. This is done for the FBI, NSA, and CIA with little/no compromise of safety. There is no reason it cannot be done for the defense department. Today, it remains the ONLY agency that has successfully and deliberately thwarted all attempts to audit its use of funds."He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot
"Forgiveness is the way of love." Gary Chapman
My Personal Blog
My Novella blog (Current Novella Begins on 7/25/14)
Quill Sword
Comment
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Originally posted by Teallaura View PostYou and MM aren't wrong - but there's a point neither of you have mentioned - exacting audits can kill soldiers. The reason is that funding information is a form of intelligence that can reveal a surprising amount about what the military is doing - sometimes with deadly results.
The $200 hammer hides research into weapons, deployments and tactics.
finding a responsible middle ground isn't always so easy.Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
Than a fool in the eyes of God
From "Fools Gold" by Petra
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