Quote:
Originally Posted by Drek
Close all foreign military bases. We got aircraft carriers and allies with military bases all around the world. Bring all our troops home.
If we need to get involved in a foreign conflict (get into when that should happen later) we send a carrier or two out to the nearest large body of water and carpet bomb and drone strike our opponent into the stone age. Problem solved.
Wasn't this the spirit that our nation was founded on? You can't just gift liberty and democracy onto people. We've found that out all too clearly in the last several decades of American foreign conflict.
After WWI we were not an unquestioned super power like we are now, and there was nothing close to the coalition of allies currently constructed via NATO, etc..
That would be the ideal. Shave military spending down to ~3.0% of GDP via extracting ourselves from foreign involvement and more efficient management.
When did peace in the middle east become entirely a U.S. responsibility? Can't get along with your neighbors? Sort it out. We've carried water for Israel for too damn long as it is and now they're back antagonizing other nations because they think big brother (the U.S.) will always have their back. Time for them to grow up.
Russia is militarily weak and will not directly intercede to save Assad. Turkey is militarily capable of protecting themselves.
And they're years away from a strike on U.S. soil. Sounds like other people's problem.
Not at all. Its just time to stop playing world police. We can still help NATO and provide a lot of the muscle to joint efforts, but we should no longer obligate ourselves to ensuring peace across the world.
Consolidate all military R&D into a single multi-branch chaired board where new technologies are developed based on cross-branch synergy. No more heavy R&D on three or four different jets spread throughout the branches, or service rifles, etc.. No more iterative annual upgrades to state of the art tech that adds zero increased functionality.
Instead all R&D should be focused on the long term game. Develop a fighter that can last several years for example and spend the time in between iterations planning on a true step forward. Stagger updates throughout the entire fleet of aircraft, watercraft, firearms, etc..
It would add significant efficiency and let the gov't. suppliers actually meet demand for updates, not being behind in production until well after the next iteration is already ready to replace it.
Further, our military needs to change how it approaches military personnel. Standards of conduct need to be overhauled so that personal failings (like adultery) are set aside and instead we focus on actual results. Thomas E. Ricks' new book "The Generals" underscores the kind of change we need. The Peter Principle can't be allowed to occur in our military. You only reach the highest point of your greatest efficiency, not the point of incompetence. This should be achieved through demotions which need to be viewed as a move to better the nation, not a slight.
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1. Our staggering wealth as a nation is based no trade. The bases that we have opened globally has created jobs globally, stability, infrastructure, and is a source of cash flow to our nation. The problem with closing the bases is military industrial complex...you know...the guys who brought you the last few wars...would have a hard time walking away from the money made aspect. What has happened in "scaling back" is more mega bases.
2. We should reward corporations for R&D instead of the military. This needs to be real R&D judged by an impartial committee and not military or corporate lobbyists. No more short term solutions. No more A-B chess playing. Military research is created through corporate dollars. Why not go straight to the source?
3. Military needs to completely restructured. There needs to be one military, less fiefdoms, cleaned up accounting, and unified logistics. They need to rebuild the NCO core and get leaders in leadership roles and let the sheep manage desks. The military needs to be fast, effective, and decisive. Do not call on fighting men to do police work.
4. NATO is the world police. This needs to be made clear and unforced. You want American support? Put your money in NATO.
5. Peace in the middle east became our concern when Nixon made several agreements making that so. We are so in bed with Israel that any separation would cost us desperately. As long as Israel is threatened, we have fiat currency, and there is oil in the middle east we have a business and national security reason to be there.
6. Military standards need to be revised and both the NCO core and Officer core values need to reviewed. Our standards have slipped as we have allowed corruption to taint how a soldier commits to his craft. A soldier is not a statesman. We need to send all our soldiers through Ranger training who want to attend and from these select the ones who can become inducted as Ranger's based on objective evaluation instead of numbers.
7. Rebuild Special Forces. We need more experienced soldiers here and instead of allowing them to be contractors increase pay, benefits, and treat this as a profession rather than allowing our best to become mercenary. This is our primary fighting force in the future. Nobody is going to fight us with Big Army anymore.
8. Army needs to be more flexible. We have too many soldiers in the wrong jobs. Get the gun bunnies out on the road and get the storage clerks back to counting supplies.