Wasting and Wanting at the Pentagon

[kentuck]

Is this a good place to start fixing our "economy"?
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http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/opinion/02wed1.html?ref=opinion

<snip>
President Bush and a far-too-compliant Congress have already wasted more than $600 billion on the disastrous Iraq war. Since Mr. Bush took office, the Pentagon’s weapons acquisition budget has doubled from $790 billion in 2000 to $1.6 trillion last year.

<snip>
Figures compiled by the Government Accountability Office showed that 95 major weapons systems — including ballistic missile defense, the Joint Strike Fighter and the Littoral Combat Ship — have exceeded their original budgets by a mind-numbing total of $295 billion in the past seven years. In 2000, new weapons were running 6 percent over initial cost estimates; by 2007, that figure had skyrocketed to 26 percent.

<snip>
The current defense secretary, Robert Gates, and his team have made a start on fixing acquisition policies, mulling such ideas as establishing review boards to monitor changes in weapons system programs. The problem will far outlast this administration. We would like to hear what the presidential candidates will do. Ending the war in Iraq is a start, but it won’t be enough.

Whoever wins the election will have to keep asking for large budgets to repair the damage from this disastrous war and to ensure that the country is ready to face new dangers. That would require a lot more vigilance about cost overruns on big-ticket weapons systems. It would also require the courage to scale back or cancel expensive — and heavily lobbied — acquisition programs that don’t meet today’s threats or tomorrow’s.

[unhappycamper]

1. I see the waste almost every day in the Veterans forum.

The 2009 military budget is now $735,700,000,000. New fighter's cost $355,000,000 a pop (F-22); the one that hasn't got above 40,000 feet costs $239,000,000 (F-35). The new LCS ships are 200% over budget ($600,000,000 v. $200,000,000).

The Navy's Deepwater program is in the crapper.

Future Combat Systems is also in trouble.

The Air Force is now retaining Predator and Reaper pilots for up to five years.

We are spending $12,000,000,000 a month to keep the occupation going.


The wheels may be coming off the wagon.

[kentuck]

2. Does anyone have the courage to tackle this monstrosity?

That is robbing us blind?

[Winterblues]

3. IMO it is like the gun issue in America

It is out of control...and no one has the intestinal fortitude to rectify the problem..The right wing echo chamber is just too overwhelming...

[unhappycamper]

4. Unlikely, my Friend.

These fuckers have had their hands in our pockets for a long time. FWIW, the US is #1 in arms sales to the rest of the world.

[kentuck]

5. Ike just let out a big sigh...

and rolled over in his grave...