Does Obama Defense Plan Cut Too Much?

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Our military will be leaner but the world must know.

The United States -- -- to maintain our military superiority.

With armed forces that are -- Flexible -- ready for the full range of contingencies.

From threats but make no mistake.

We will have the capability.

To confront and defeat more than one adversary at a time if they're not gonna give anything up they don't have the resources to do all the things they say they want to do.

It just doesn't add up.

While the president making historic trip to the Pentagon briefing room to out.

To lay out rather defense cuts that will be coming focus shifting towards Asia Pacific away from ground wars toward air and sea power.

The army Marine Corps will get smaller.

The F 35 fighter jet production will be slowed but not stopped.

Military retirement and health benefits will be overhauled before the break our question of the day asked you what do you think of president Obama's defense cuts -- -- -- 3% of you.

Say they cut too much in our unscientific poll on line we're back with panel.

-- How's the -- correct this.

Budget strategy.

Is a road -- American declined.

It's gonna reduce our capacities it does exactly what the president -- said he was not gonna do today.

Which is it will adapt our strategy and our capacities.

To fit your budget and remember this is a budget.

-- that any cuts in entitlements will do which is essentially what's killing us and adding to our deficits instead it takes defense.

Yes it says we don't want to have -- new large ground -- well I agree that's fine.

But sometimes a Pearl Harbor happens or invasion of South Korea or a 9/11 and then you a ground war is thrust upon you and isn't as it is a choice.

So the strategy is a reduced the ground and forces increased the navy and air force.

And yet his huge cuts in in in the joint strike fighter which is the fighter.

Of the of this new century.

This is a budget that is going to reduce American capacity is gonna make it extremely hard.

To carry the -- that we have for the last seven years.

We don't have a lot of specific numbers we have specific strategies.

The joint chiefs are saying that they can do this and fight two wars there's a lot of people that are.

Very concerned about the possibility.

Well legitimately so but I think a lot of people.

Are not necessarily looking for I -- you go back and Donald Rumsfeld in the last administration he too was talking about.

Making the military leaner.

More -- job more effective but looking to do so again by reducing the footprint of our ground -- capabilities.

From the army and the Marine Corps.

I think the president made a point here that's very important which is that after 9/11 it's been a tremendous increase in defense spending in this country.

And that there has to be some balance especially at a time.

When budgets are tight and there's a need to reinvest in the United States in terms of our domestic issues here.

That's to me totally legitimate and it's not at all the case that I hear from many of the critics that somehow our military has been decimated or that we've been weakened.

Our allies affected by this plan.

Yes and this would decimate our military and it would weaken the United States America that's what let's not kid ourselves there's no magic you don't cut.

The number of ground forces he wants to cut cut our capacities -- to being around the world.

We tell allies woes you know use do you -- in the past go to Atlanta there was really a problem I'm not so sure -- what.

-- -- -- we -- to the insertion of rock with a much of the strain that paramilitary.

It what 55 years ago or so we have -- fifteen months -- for the army for -- from a much smaller army and Marine Corps.

But luckily nothing's ever gonna happen anymore you know what there's never going to be the case -- into being -- going to be attacked you're never gonna be our president to set up safe havens and never going to be surprised like Korea.

And so we can go ahead and blithely -- -- it's unbelievably irresponsible the savings of tiny when it comes to the actual.

Budget deficit the highest number what he's saying forty billion dollars a year when he's running what and a half trillion dollar deficit when he wasted 800 billion dollars on stimulus.

None of which went to the military does not tell you everything 800 billion dollars in you know not every cabinet secretary coming to see the president -- spend money spent more -- -- more money.

Secretary Gates you Begin cutting extensively these cuts -- on top for earlier cuts that the defense apart was supposed to -- was has absorbed.

So I I'm very unhappy about it and it reminds you why we need a new president in January terrific -- just.

Not take into account the sequester possibilities if you don't reach this deal with congress as it stands currently another 500 billion would have to be cut one.

Right -- I think though that you know I just disagree strongly with bill I just don't you -- you seem to think that we should just.

Put more and more money keep our capabilities at the current level or higher looked again what you're seeing is even with these cuts the defense budget is going to continue to grow.

So I don't understand you can you just want us to be totally investing in the military.

At a loss to every other part of the American government and to the American people at a time -- economic need.

He grows in dollars which is meaningless.

It shrinks as a percentage of our economy.

Under John Kennedy whom I don't remember it liberals ever attacking -- -- come Emanuel was spent on defense.

We have -- -- budget of the federal budget was on defense today it's a fifth.

Under the Kennedy we spend an hour and a half percent of our economy upon them the military's today intended to.

4%.

And shrinking.

As a percentage of of our economies can get a lot smaller.

And the fact is even if you don't want to work with the numbers.

Obama has said himself for a -- shrinking.

Our capacity on the ground and the fact is that you can't.

Simply announce and hope that they did that there's not going to be incidents in the world with.

China arming itself hugely.

Iran about to go nuclear instability in the Middle East how do we do know that we're never gonna have to be.

Forced into another -- confrontation.

In the next decade we -- not can -- be prepared this will not be the last panel on this topic for.

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Does Obama Defense Plan Cut Too Much?

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