Comments on: Asking whether Rumsfeld has done well with what he has is perhaps the wrong question. http://pierrelegrand.net/2006/11/04/asking-whether-rumsfeld-has-done-well-with-what-he-has-is-perhaps-the-wrong-question.htm A Common Man Looks at the War on Islamic Terror Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:02:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Pierre Legrand http://pierrelegrand.net/2006/11/04/asking-whether-rumsfeld-has-done-well-with-what-he-has-is-perhaps-the-wrong-question.htm#comment-9802 Pierre Legrand Mon, 06 Nov 2006 12:46:45 +0000 http://pierrelegrand.net/2006/11/04/asking-whether-rumsfeld-has-done-well-with-what-he-has-is-perhaps-the-wrong-question.htm#comment-9802 That is an interesting question but I think we need to be careful that we don't forget an essential fact. We decided at one point to significantly downsize the combined number of men and women in the armed forces. We decided that because we wanted to take advantage of the Peace dividend to fund stuff that had nothing to do with the Government's primary duty, the Defense of this Nation. Now we are at war and we are still acting like No Child Left Behind, Prescription Drug benefit and such are important, or more correctly more important that Defense. It is not. That is an interesting question but I think we need to be careful that we don’t forget an essential fact.

We decided at one point to significantly downsize the combined number of men and women in the armed forces. We decided that because we wanted to take advantage of the Peace dividend to fund stuff that had nothing to do with the Government’s primary duty, the Defense of this Nation.

Now we are at war and we are still acting like No Child Left Behind, Prescription Drug benefit and such are important, or more correctly more important that Defense.

It is not.

]]> By: Peter F. http://pierrelegrand.net/2006/11/04/asking-whether-rumsfeld-has-done-well-with-what-he-has-is-perhaps-the-wrong-question.htm#comment-9632 Peter F. Sun, 05 Nov 2006 20:31:10 +0000 http://pierrelegrand.net/2006/11/04/asking-whether-rumsfeld-has-done-well-with-what-he-has-is-perhaps-the-wrong-question.htm#comment-9632 It would be interesting to see the actual dollar amounts for both defense spending and GDP over the same time period. Has the level remained under 4% because a growing economy led to a big increase in GDP or has the DOD really made significant overall cutbacks? Or is it the end result of all those base closings--many of which were bitterly opposed by Dems AND Repubs? It would be interesting to see the actual dollar amounts for both defense spending and GDP over the same time period. Has the level remained under 4% because a growing economy led to a big increase in GDP or has the DOD really made significant overall cutbacks? Or is it the end result of all those base closings–many of which were bitterly opposed by Dems AND Repubs?

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