- Joined
- Mar 11, 2006
- Messages
- 96,122
- Reaction score
- 33,465
- Location
- SE Virginia
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Conservative
So, looks like our Chinese "friends" agree with the left.Published July 11, 2011
| Associated Press
BEIJING – The United States is spending too much on its military in light of its recent economic troubles, China's top general said Monday while playing down his country's own military capabilities.
The chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, Chen Bingde, told reporters that he thought the U.S. should cut back on defense spending for the sake of its taxpayers. He was speaking during a joint news conference in which he traded barbs with visiting U.S. counterpart Adm. Mike Mullen.
"I know the U.S. is still recovering from the financial crisis," Chen said. "Under such circumstances, it is still spending a lot of money on its military and isn't that placing too much pressure on the taxpayers?"
If the U.S. could reduce its military spending a bit and spend more on improving the livelihood of the American people ... wouldn't that be a better scenario?" he said.
The Chinese are correct. You could cut the US military budget in half and the US would still be spending double what the Chinese spend.
The Chinese are correct. You could cut the US military budget in half and the US would still be spending double what the Chinese spend.
Along with our very own Department of Defense!!!
Defense.gov News Article: Gates Calls for Significant Cuts in Defense Overhead
Your links to this secret knowledge please. Thanks.that is incorrect - Chinese spending on defense is way under-reported. one of the benefits of being a totalitarian dictatorship is that you can lie at will.
Your links to this secret knowledge please. Thanks.
You conveniently overlooked the underlined text, no doubt intentionally.
You need to add the cost of what they steal to their budget.
While China’s government has disclosed more information about military spending in recent years, much of its spending remains secret, and, in the past, military experts in the United States and elsewhere have said Beijing’s real military spending is at least double the announced figure. A 2009 Pentagon report estimated China’s total military spending to be between $105 billion and $150 billion. While growing rapidly, China’s military spending is still dwarfed by that of the United States, which has about $719 billion in outlays this year for national defense.
“In each instance we must ask: First, is this respectful of the American taxpayer at a time of economic and fiscal duress?” he said. “And second, is this activity or arrangement the best use of limited dollars, given the pressing needs to take care of our people, win the wars we are in, and invest in the capabilities necessary to deal with the most likely and lethal future threats?”
-SecDef Robert Gates
""I know the U.S. is still recovering from the financial crisis," Chen said. "Under such circumstances, it is still spending a lot of money on its military and isn't that placing too much pressure on the taxpayers? "If the U.S. could reduce its military spending a bit and spend more on improving the livelihood of the American people ... wouldn't that be a better scenario?"
-General Chen Bingde
They are saying the exact same thing. From your underlined text "spend more on improving the livelihood of the American people" it sounds a hell of a lot like "given the pressing needs to take care of our people."
Ok so we've taken a guess, as accurate as can be I'm sure, and I trust your source. We're still looking at a a difference of about 600 billion dollars, so what was the point of this topic besides to equate the left with the Chinese.
It's in China's best interest to see to it that we spend less on defense.
You're right, that was part of the point. The left needs to stop think like our enemies and start thinking like Americans. I'm sick and tired of seeing the left agree with everyone except the mainstream of Americans. It's always about everyone else (Europe, China, whoever) is wiser than we are. Yet not one of them has accomplished in such short a time, what we have. And all of them have benefitted from our way of thinking. This country wasn't created to be like Europe, just the opposite. No one is perfect, but if any example is going to be held out as The Example, it's going to be us not them. You think China is prospering because of their communist system? Of course it isn't; it's because they are copying us in some way.
Thats not the point of this thread, if there even is a point lets recap:
1st post "So, looks like our Chinese "friends" agree with the left."
So the American left is just like the Chinese and the Chinese are bad so therefore so are the left. That was your first point.
2nd post "You need to add the cost of what they steal to their budget."
The Chinese secretly lie about their true military spending, its more than what they say. I agree with you here, but its not the first point you made.
3rd post "You conveniently overlooked the underlined text, no doubt intentionally."
Personal insult, don't make a point just state I must have missed it.
4th post "China Says It Is Slowing Down Military Spending - NYTimes.com"
Back to the second post's topic, you've provided a good source to back that argument.
5th post "It's in China's best interest to see to it that we spend less on defense."
Now we are talking about the geopolitical relation between the US and China, something not mentioned in the first 5 posts.
So what exactly is this topic about? You keep changing the point and claiming I can't see it, well frankly I cannot but maybe if your posts were longer than a single sentance and you could actually flesh out an argument which makes whatever point you are trying to make clear, then I might understand what you are getting at. I don't even have to agree, heck I probably won't, but I would like to understand your point.
Now addressing the orginal point, obviously China isn't the only one who wants to see a reduction in our military spending and obviously so does our SecDef. For different reasons? Certainly. Gates whats to see a military with less waste, and I'm sure General Bingde wants to see a weaker US military, especially in East Asia. Both involve cutting costs, in that regard they are the same. This is why you need to flesh out arguments more, there's nothing wrong with cutting spending its WHY you cut spending.
If you only look at one factor, like the fact that both the SecDef and Chinese Chief of the PLA want to see US cut spending, then yes its easy to make a rediculous arguement that "Robert Gates is just as bad as those Chinese!" which is the same disregard for other information that led you to this "The American left is just like China!" arguement in your first post. But when you factor in that other relevant information you see the two are entirely different. I know you consider me to be a leftist, although I don't personally, but let me tell you the US Army needs some damn trimming, you wouldn't believe the kind of **** we waste money on and its money spent which does nothing to our national defense, its just waste and God Damn there is nothing wrong with removing waste.
You're right, that was part of the point. The left needs to stop think like our enemies and start thinking like Americans. I'm sick and tired of seeing the left agree with everyone except the mainstream of Americans. It's always about everyone else (Europe, China, whoever) is wiser than we are. Yet not one of them has accomplished in such short a time, what we have. And all of them have benefitted from our way of thinking. This country wasn't created to be like Europe, just the opposite. No one is perfect, but if any example is going to be held out as The Example, it's going to be us not them. You think China is prospering because of their communist system? Of course it isn't; it's because they are copying us in some way.
Thanks for the rash and incorrect generalization about "the left."
Signed,
A member of "the left" who agrees we need a large standing army.
Thanks for the rash and incorrect generalization about "the left."
Signed,
A member of "the left" who agrees we need a large standing army.
It's in China's best interest to see to it that we spend less on defense.
It's been well known since at least 2002 that the DoD is a hotbed of liberalism.Along with our very own Department of Defense!!!
Defense.gov News Article: Gates Calls for Significant Cuts in Defense Overhead
To some degree and in some instances, but China's concerns are neither here nor there, imho. We can't do something because they say they want us to or because they say they don't want us to.It's in China's best interest to see to it that we spend less on defense.
It's been well known since at least 2002 that the DoD is a hotbed of liberalism.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?