Scott Stantis Editorial Cartoon, May 08, 2012 on GoComics.com

onguard said, about 1 year ago

Austerity is something this country has never experience. The only thing we cut is the Military. This is a quick path to War. At the start of WW II the US Marines has fewer personnel than the New York Police Dept.

dtroutma said, about 1 year ago

“Only thing we cut is the military.”??? Earth to onguard, come back within the atmosphere, you’re on less oxygen than Apollo 13.

Radish said, about 1 year ago

Germany doesn’t live in austerity.

Ketira shena Pretarasedrin said, about 1 year ago

@onguard

You haven’t done enough reading or are one of the Boomers. Americans experienced this in WW2, in the name of War, and we’ve bounced back from it.
You should talk to my Mother (who’s in her 70s). She remembers what the government gave out to mix with oil to make “butter”, as well as other food shortfalls.

MortyForTyrant said, about 1 year ago

@onguard

First of all – you where isolationist back then, you didn’t need a big army. Secondly you were attacked by the Japanese, with bombers. How would the Marines have helped? And lastly: you are now an empire, fast approaching the label “evil” (with drone strikes on children and so on). Are $650B/year not enough? You still want more? Are you willing to pay for it? I didn’t think so…

Jeff Kiser said, about 1 year ago

The US has cut the military many times in its history. Huge cuts occurred at the end of the cold war, overseen by both HW Bush and Clinton. As a % of GDP, it isn’t that large.

pdchapin said, about 1 year ago

The US military budget is larger than something like the next ten countries combined – I forget the exact figure. And most of those are allies not likely to attack us. Who are we planning on fighting?

Reducing the military budget will reduce the ability of this country to use a military response to a problem. Would this necessarily be bad? Most countries already live with this limitation. And with an enormous military, we’re stuck between using it and being seen as a bully or not using it and being seen as lacking resolution.

ARodney said, about 1 year ago

We could bring the military back to the size it was before 9/11, and be perfectly safe. On the other hand, if we cut safety net programs to the bone as the Ryan plan calls for, American citizens will die. It’s a pretty clear choice.

Radish said, about 1 year ago

@onguard

The Marines are an elite branch of the Navy, they don’t have to be as big as the NYC police force.

No-one-cares said, about 1 year ago

@onguard

Please link some proof of this statement. As I do know that at the start of WWII the US Marines had 65881 personnel.

dtroutma said, about 1 year ago

Marines were, literally, intended to be “bodyguards” for the Navy. While they have an extreme degree of pride in their service, their commanders, and mentality, have long made them “cannon fodder”. The Revolutionary War proved that the smart guys WERE and ARE the ones who hide behind the trees and pick off the enemy as they boldly advance, out in the open. Some would call it “target practice”.

Trench warfare was likewise absurd, and costly in lives, for NO PURPOSE! Think Gallipoli, and then wonder if "thinking’ isn’t “smarter”.