Category: Journal ISSN 1078-1935

Flush With Cash, Running on Empty (IV)

Pentagon spending has not really been an issue in the 2016 Presidential campaign.  With the exception of Ted Cruz, the positions of the remaining candidates have been vague about even the size of the defense budget.  As near as I can tell: (1) Clinton’s position on the size of the Pentagon’s budget is that she will establish a blue ribbon commission to review defense policy and spending levels; (2) Trump claims without detail he can make the military great again but cut the budget at the same time; (3) Cruz says he will copy President Reagan's spending spree by using tax cuts to stimulate the economy and ramping up defense spending to 4% of GDP (more on this plan in a subsequent blaster); and (4) Sanders seems to want to cut the Pentagon’s budget, but has not detailed how.  No candidate appears to have noticed that President Obama has allowed the Pentagon to plant a defense budget time bomb in the form of modernization bow wave, although Obama's bow wave has been reported repeatedly in the defense circles, e.g., read full article.