It's time for BIG cuts in our military

One has nothing to do with the other.

Look at the amount of money this country pays for entitlements and other forms of "charity". In this I throw in all sorts of social programs, from Section 8 housing and the cost of building and maintaining housing projects, to Pell Grants, Student Loans, and everything else.

For example, last year the Government did 2 things at once. One, they cut out a lot of the Post 9/11 GI Bill, making it harder to use to get a college education for Vets that have already supposedly worked for those benefits.

They did this because they claim there was not enough money for this program. But at the same time they tripled the amount of money available under Pell. From $17 billion to $32 billion. And increased the amount available from $819 to $5,550 per year.

This is what is bankrupting the country. Look at the amount of money spent in entitlements. These programs spend far more then the entire DoD budget (which I have shown many times, military payrol is much more then military procurements).

And as far as things like tobacco taxes, the vast majority of that is done by the state, not the federal government. Federal taxes on cigarettes are only $1 a pack. And Hunting and Fishing licenses are state taxes also, not federal.

 

What? you're not including the GI Bill as a welfare program? Many Conservatives have called it that for over 60+ years.

 

The big difference between the GI Bills and what most consider "Entitlements" is that the individuals have actually done something to get them. And most times, actually paid money as well to get them.

 

and yet it still gets called welfare by people who do not think that we should get it. Heck, even John McCain said that the current one "is too good and will be too much of an incentive to get out and go to school after the military."

oh, and how is SS, and Medicare any different? I have been paying money over to them since I joined the Navy in 1987. I probbaly have paid more money into Medicare and Social Security than the $1200 I put into the G.I Bill.

 

I have no real problem with Medicare at all.

And the same with the original idea of Social Security. But SSI is a major problem. This is not paid for by Social Security, but from the General Fund. Even though the Social Security Administration is the organization that administers the program.

My issue has never been with the 2 programs you bring up, nor is it with all "entitlements". It is with those that have grown with almost out of control budgets, growing more end more every year, with more and more people added to the rolls getting the funds.

Most of the US income is now spent into these kinds of programs. And under this administration it has grown even more. Heck, just look at Pell alone. Benefits have expanded by more then 500%. And at the same time, other programs for Veterans are cut.

However, there are ways around even that. I am moving back to California next month when I leave the military. And because of the new change in the GI Bill, I no longer qualify for in-state tuition rates (I have not lived in California for a decade). However, thanks to a loophole, I am still going to pay in-state tuition rates.

How? Simple, California Law mandates that illegal aliens that can provide a High School diploma from a California High School are entitled to pay in-state tuition, without any other proof of residency. Therefore I am simply going to tell them when I enrole I am an illegal alien.

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/06/news/sc-dc-0607-court-tuition-20110607

http://nwunderlich.hubpages.com/hub/Tuition-Assistance-To-Illegal-Immigrants

So thanks to a loophole in the California Law, I will not have to wait 3 years until I start school. All I have to do is show them my High School Diploma. Van Nuys, High, class of 1983.

And be glad you had the Montgomery GI Bill. I do not qualify for that, so the Post 9/11 is all I get.

 

Amen. People don't understand that if you cut your defenses you're just saying to countries like China, "Hey, we need to give out more money to people that aren't working and are on welfare, so we'll make it easier for you to invade our country." Having a strong military is an essential part of a nation if you stay independent.

 

In all fairness the so-called "cuts" to the 9/11 GI Bill didn't have too much impact. They did screw over a small minority of vets, but hardly broke the system. I know my benefits were barely changed at all...except for break pay, which was pretty generous anyway. What's more irritating to me is how Congress continuously changes things. I paid for my GI Bill and also paid additional money for the kicker....only to find out 6 months later that the new GI bill wouldn't require payment. They claim we'll get our 1200 dollars back at the end of our schooling, which anyone with an iota of financial understanding sees the injustice of, but I'm (*)(*)(*)(*) out of luck for the additional money I paid into the kicker. The government knows it has complete and utter control over military members/veterans. They also know how complicated many of the programs are and that many Veterans don't understand exactly what's going on.

Either way, I have no right to complain. When its all said and done I'll have garnered more than 200k of educational benefits when I graduate.

 

The Pell Grant increase benefits Vets too. I got $5500 last year.

Look at going to private schools with the Yellow Ribbon Program. At many of these schools tuition is 100% covered. All you have to do is pay for is books, which you get a stipend for anyway. I've devoted a lot of time to pushing Vets towards these schools, guys don't realize just how good things are.

 

Except that American military is not really for defence these days, Power projection and Pre-Emptive Strikes are the official policies.

 

Which are all part of the National Defense Strategy. Sometimes it is far more risky and costly to sit around and let the enemy build up strength than it is to reduce the number and strengths of your potential enemies before they start building up.

It can be an effective strategy and reduces the chances of US civilian casualties.