Pentagon bloat, etc. thread

[Vrede too]

TAKE ACTION: 900 Warheads. 10 Minutes. One Decider.
We need to restrict the President's power to make the ultimate bad decision and to unilaterally trigger a nuclear war.
Contact your Senators and Representative and urge them to become cosponsors of this urgently needed legislation (S. 200 in the Senate, H. 669 in the House) to check the president's authority to launch nuclear weapons.

[Vrede too]

Think Trump Is Too Cozy with Dictators? Check Out the U.S. Military.
In 45 countries, U.S. military bases prop up undemocratic regimes of all sorts, while often interfering with local campaigns for democracy.

[Vrede too]

The petition to the House of Representatives reads:

"Congress has the explicit duty to debate and authorize war. Repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force – the flawed blank check that authorizes the president to wage war, anywhere at any time. It has now been nearly 16 years of endless war, it’s time for Congress to finally do its job."

[rstrong]

"We can't spend money on programs just because they sound good."
- Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, on plan to cut funding for Meals on Wheels, by which volunteers deliver warm food to over a million older Americans.

Trump fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at $1.4 million apiece at a Syrian airport. After warning them ahead of time, so people and aircraft were moved out. The airport reopened within hours. This to defend those who Trump won't let into the country because they're terrorists. But the country can't afford Meals on Wheels.

[Vrede too]

Senate backs bill to pump $700 billion into military

[Vrede too]

Trump wants big military parade on July 4 to show 'strength'

He's acting more like NK's Kim every day.

[rstrong]

Trump wants big military parade on July 4 to show 'strength'

He's acting more like NK's Kim every day.

Someone could troll Trump on this. Tweet pictures of crowds watching nukes being popped back in the 1950s. Declare that the only reason Trump can't let Americans watch a nuclear explosion on the 4th of July is that other countries won't let him.

Yup. Time to start tweeting at Trump.

[Vrede too]

Latest Trump Tweet:

The decision on Sergeant Bergdahl is a complete and total disgrace to our Country and to our Military.

(Liked by 50562 idiots.)
Tweets today: 19

I don't care about Bergdahl one way of the other, but I love that the military judge sent a big FU to the Chickenhawk in Chief and other ODS cons.

[O Really]

I con't care about him either, but unless one is just interested in personal revenge, it would look like 5 years captive would be a pretty stiff punishment in itself for his desertion.

[Vrede too]

I don't care about him either, but unless one is just interested in personal revenge, it would look like 5 years captive would be a pretty stiff punishment in itself for his desertion.

It's not "real" punishment unless we're doing the punishing.

[Vrede too]

Remains Of U.S. Soldier Found In Niger After Widow Questioned What Was In Coffin At Funeral

Really?! This is so bad. How do we know that anything else we've been told by the Pentagon about the incident is true?

[O Really]

What basis have we ever had to believe them? No matter who is the titular "Commander in Chief" military is still military and they've been lying since way before Vietnam.

I'm expecting the Niger-ghazi hearings to begin any day now. But not holding my breath.

[Vrede too]

Bipartisan Support For Repealing Presidential Blank Check for War Grows

No Blank Check For War!
The Constitution gives Congress, not the President, the power to authorize military force. Tell Congress to repeal the AUMF.

[Vrede too]

Costs of the War on Terror since 2001 (running counter)

Care for War on Terror Veterans since 2001

Every hour, taxpayers in the United States are paying
$2.28 million for Care for War on Terror Veterans since 2001.
$287.4B

Homeland Security Costs of War Since 2001

Every hour, taxpayers in the United States are paying
$7.99 million for Homeland Security Costs of War Since 2001.
$819.4B

Interest on War Debt since 2001

Every hour, taxpayers in the United States are paying
$10.05 million for Interest on War Debt since 2001.
$579.7B

Military Costs of War since 2001

Every hour, taxpayers in the United States are paying
$11.76 million for Military Costs of War since 2001.
2,810.5B!

Total Cost of Wars Since 2001

Every hour, taxpayers in the United States are paying
$32.08 million for Total Cost of Wars Since 2001.
$4,497B!

For Department of Defense, taxpayers in the United States are paying $523.5 billion, not including the cost of war. Here's what those tax dollars could have paid for instead.

‘The Business of War’:
Google Employees Protest Work for the Pentagon

Thousands of Google employees, including dozens of senior engineers, have signed a letter protesting the company’s involvement in a Pentagon program that uses artificial intelligence to interpret video imagery and could be used to improve the targeting of drone strikes.

The letter, which is circulating inside Google and has garnered more than 3,100 signatures, reflects a culture clash between Silicon Valley and the federal government that is likely to intensify as cutting-edge artificial intelligence is increasingly employed for military purposes.

(Read the text of the letter.)

“We believe that Google should not be in the business of war,” says the letter, addressed to Sundar Pichai, the company’s chief executive. It asks that Google pull out of Project Maven, a Pentagon pilot program, and announce a policy that it will not “ever build warfare technology.” ...

Heroes.

[Vrede too]

Astronomical' Cost of War: Average US Taxpayer Sent $3,456 to Pentagon Last Year and Just $39 to the EPA
"Congress appropriates more for U.S. military spending than the next eight countries combined, but year after year refuses to adequately invest in access to quality education and healthcare for millions of Americans."





Especially apt comparison with the EPA given that the Pentagon is one of the worst polluters on the planet.

[Vrede too]

[billy.pilgrim]

But they all hit the targets Putin dictated.

[Vrede too]

But they all hit the targets Putin dictated.

The entire thing is very strange to me. Minus the 2 alleged chemical weapons hiccups and the tepid response to them, it seems that everything Dolt. 45 has done in Syria has been in support of Putin and al Assad.

[billy.pilgrim]

But they all hit the targets Putin dictated.

The entire thing is very strange to me. Minus the 2 alleged chemical weapons hiccups and the tepid response to them, it seems that everything Dolt. 45 has done in Syria has been in support of Putin and al Assad.

What gets me about all the repug stories, from Saddam being involved in 911 to Assad using chemical weapons and everything in-between, is that in each and every one there is never a motive.

Assad killed 500,000 with conventional weapons and he knows there will be international consequences if he uses chemical weapons, but we are supposed to believe that he uses chemical weapons to kill 40 people and the media runs with this bs story.

[Vrede too]

Lockheed Martin got $35.2 billion from taxpayers last year. That’s more than many federal agencies.