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The US Needs More Defense Spending

I agree. With a resurgent Russia and an expanding China, the US needs to step it up. I'm sure that within the next few years at the very least a proxy war or 2 will sprout up between the super-powers.


I expect an intended one-off clash precipitated by Beijing against the United States. That would be given all things remain equal, i.e., the US and Iran are not engaged seriously for example. Beijing has to test its unproved technologies plus its economy is on a one track decline of growth that is irreversible so a 'patriotic' distraction gets increasingly attractive to CCP Boys in Beijing.

Xi Jinpingpong has been unable to deliver on his fantasy projects such as the grandiose Belt and Road project. Chinese people are angry Xi is stuffing the pockets of black guys in Africa while giving a short shrift to people at home. Health and medical care are still out of pocket and this is a major beef by the middle class. CCP does not allow Chinese people to know what its foreign currency reserve is for because it suggests the possibility of economic and financial failure or crisis.

Beijing not wanting huge defense costs similar to the US has resulted in PLA veterans conducting huge ongoing protests against miserly pensions, care, benefits, assistance. Xi had to also relent to budget issues by reducing significantly the paramilitary People's Armed Police force of 850,000 which is the Party's main line of defense against rebellion, insurrection, revolution. Yet the big reductions in PAP have only produced another underclass thrown into the declining economy. Given these issues and many more Xi is between a rock and a hard place so he may feel compelled to go for a military distraction that can unite Chinese behind him. There are no guarantees in that either however. Especially if the PLA which is the Party's military force ends up getting burned. When actually.
 
That is where the Air was different. Our aircraft/helicopters were being used daily and when not flying they were in maintenance such and scheduled inspections or unscheduled repairs. Many flights were to keep the pilots.current. Others in weapons training. I would say 50% of peacetime flights used ordnance of one sort or another.

Our days were full and we hurting when folks were sent off on working parties.

This depends more on unit than branch.

I have been in units where indeed pulling 1 or 2 people would be a problem. Then I have been in others where we could send away a platoon for weeks at a time with no impact on our operations. And sometimes that was even within the same battalion. One company could not spare people, but another company had joes to spare.

And I can guarantee that every unit had "that guy" that was so worthless that they wish there was some other mission they could send them on to get them away, because they were absolutely worthless at their job. That was the one that failed at almost everything they did, or had constant problems so that sending them to some outside duty was a blessing for everybody in the shop.
 
This depends more on unit than branch.

I have been in units where indeed pulling 1 or 2 people would be a problem. Then I have been in others where we could send away a platoon for weeks at a time with no impact on our operations. And sometimes that was even within the same battalion. One company could not spare people, but another company had joes to spare.

And I can guarantee that every unit had "that guy" that was so worthless that they wish there was some other mission they could send them on to get them away, because they were absolutely worthless at their job. That was the one that failed at almost everything they did, or had constant problems so that sending them to some outside duty was a blessing for everybody in the shop.

Permanent post police.
 
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