According to 'The High Priest of America', chaos would reign across the land if the so-called 'sequestration' act went into operation on Friday night. His public breast-beating was picked up by the Chorus, that is, the American media, or the PR Department of the Democrat party as it is known, and the message was shrilled forth to all and sundry. As it happened, 'all and sundry' simply shrugged and went on about their business. No planes fell out of the sky, the American army continued to waste its time and money in Afghanistan, firemen continued to put out fires and policemen did what policemen have always done, that is, give the odd villain a smart truncheon smack between the legs pour encourager les autres!
As 'The Kraut' explained with weary persistence, the 'Monster-Horror-Armageddon-Sequestration' is actually:
[J]ust one-half of 1 percent of GDP. It amounts to 1.4 cents on the dollar of nondefense spending, 2 cents overall.
Or, as the witty Mark Steyn puts it:
No, in an America in which every throwaway gag is a hate crime, Obama’s fake disaster movie of the month is the only joke we all go along with, even though he’s insulting our intelligence far more than Seth and the Los Angeles Gay Men’s Chorus singing “We Saw Your Boobs” to Anne Hathaway and Halle Berry.
Can you pierce the mists of time and go back all the way to the year 2007? Back then, federal spending was 40 percent lower than it is today. In a mere half-decade, has all that 40 percent gravy become so indispensable to the general welfare that not even a teensy-weensy sliver of it can be cut? [My emphasis]
If you really believe that, then America is going to die, and a gullible citizenry willing to give this laughable charade the time of day will bear ultimate responsibility. We have seen the boobs, and they are us.
It became very clear to everyone, except 52% of American voters, within a couple of years of Obama's presidency that he was a born-again liar of monstrous proportions. At long last the ninnies in the Republican party have summoned up such strength of purpose as they possess and have decided to call this bluffer's bluff. And the last word goes to the American Stock Exchange which rose on Friday!
"At long last the ninnies in the Republican party have summoned up such strength of purpose as they possess" to agree to recess, leave DC and go home.
Most likely, I think, to beat the traffic-snarls which will surely ensue when all Washington's traffic signals begin to act like politicians.
Posted by: JK | Saturday, 02 March 2013 at 12:37
Ah no, they have just fallen into the trap. Now the 'O' can claim that when the wheels fall off the economy it's all those Republicrats fault (because everything was fine up until now).
Oh and it's probably guaranteed that there'll be no cuts in 'social' spending but some pretty swingeing ones in the military (as if there haven't been already. Enterprise being decommissioned and no replacement, five carriers in Norfolk,...) and what 'cuts' there are will be, as here, in front line areas leaving all those irreplaceable administrators, managers and generals safe as usual.
But don't listen to my opinion as I'm so much a cynic and a pessimist that if they were Olympic events I'd probably come last as 'it's all rigged' and 'something would probably go wrong'.
Posted by: Able | Saturday, 02 March 2013 at 15:13
I'm not sure whether it's Good News or Bad News but the enormous and increasing drop in American gas prices is helping the US economy to thrive despite anything and everything that Obama throws at it.
Also, the cuts are across the board with no leeway and no picking and choosing which makes them less than intelligent. Stand by for even greater efforts by the Dems to increase taxation.
Posted by: David Duff | Saturday, 02 March 2013 at 18:17
"...but the enormous and increasing drop in American gas prices..."
Where David? 'Steady as she goes' after a half dollar rise here in Arkansas.
Able?
Social stuff is pretty much as you say - so too I've heard no gnashing of manager's, administrator's, or any General's teeth but as to, "Enterprise being decommissioned and no replacement, five carriers in Norfolk,...) and what 'cuts' there are will be, as here, in front line areas...
Yes. Europe based forces are dropping from four combat brigades to two - but that was decided pre-sequester.
The US Navy stuff is more bleak than you may realize. Those "five carriers in Norfolk"?
Only the Truman is anywhere near being deployable and in fact rather than replacing the Stennis (which has been near Oman up to Bahrain since September) the Stennis' deployment has been extended (much like units of the other services as I understand it) - an the Truman has been placed "in surge status."
Here's a very smallish piece of a 'in the works' report that's come my way:
"...On March 27, Congress will have to have a new budget in place, extend the continuing resolution or force a government shutdown; the most likely decision will be to maintain the continuing resolution. ... The Navy decided not to deploy a second carrier to the Persian Gulf, backing down from its standard of two carriers in the region. Instead, the second carrier will serve in a surge capacity for the immediate future. ... Maintenance budgets across the forces have been reduced or suspended in anticipation of cuts. Training of all non-deploying forces that are not critical to the strategic force is also being heavily curtailed. ... These options were chosen because they are immediate cost-savings that can be reversed quickly as opposed to the big-budget procurement programs ... In many cases, DoD would have to pay massive fines for withdrawing from binding contracts, and renegotiations are costly. ... The Navy is considering suspending operations of four of its nine carrier air wings while shutting down four of its carriers in various stages of the operations and maintenance process. This would essentially give the US one carrier deployed with one on call. ... The single biggest capability gap that will develop will be the U.S. military's surge capacity. If the Syria-Iraq-Lebanon corridor were to become more unstable, we will not be able to respond with the same force structure. ..."
Posted by: JK | Saturday, 02 March 2013 at 21:55
JK
1+1? Oh you do know how to reassure me, don't you? Thanks a lot!
I recently spent the day at a local manor house for 'drinks'. Name of Arbigland. Someone who was born there is quite probably spinning merrily in his coffin.
Posted by: Able | Saturday, 02 March 2013 at 22:03
Lets be optimistic! With the USN sitting at home, Obama won't be able to drag us into any more little wars. I understand that the French are now down to dropping rocks on various Arabs in Africa, soon we won't need to support their little wars. And the Tory policy of reducing the armed forces to the same size as those of Belgium will be shown to be right!
Posted by: backofanenvelope | Sunday, 03 March 2013 at 07:26
Truly this internet-thingie is a wondrous thing, one never stops learning. In case, JK, you, like me, were mystified by Able's reference to Abigland, this from Wiki:
The founder of the United States Navy John Paul Jones, whose father was a gardener at Arbigland, was born in a cottage in the grounds on 6 July 1747. The cottage is now the John Paul Jones Cottage Museum and is open from April to September.
'Nottalotta people knew that - including me!' You should try a visit, JK, there are plenty of stills up their in Jockland so a good ol' Arkie like you would fit right in!
The recent problem has been, BOE, not one of US presidents dragging us into war but of prime ministers running along behind yapping furiously to be allowed to come along, too! (Wilson was the only exception, I think.)
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 03 March 2013 at 09:22
JK, from memory, so not word perfect: "The only thing that divides our nations is our common language!" - Oscar, such a darling boy! "Gas" in Her Maj's Royal English means industrial gas used predominately by big manufacturing organisations. 'Over there', one understands that you mean 'petrol' - honestly, these colonialists, what is one to do with them?
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 03 March 2013 at 09:33
Here is how I see it!
The Great One will say to the Pentagon, send 3000 marines to Syria. The Pentagon will say they can't oblige - the marines are out of doughnuts. The Great One phones The Sycophantic One in London and says, send 6000 brits to Syria. In the Pentagon they believe that 3000 US Marines equates to 6000 brits. The Sycophantic One rings up MoD; send the 51st Highland Div to Syria. Bit of confusion till MoD realise The Sycophantic One's ORBAT is dated May 1944. Sorry they say, only full equipped and operational troops are guarding the Queen. Send them TSO says; sorry they say, Queen says naff-off. TSO can't find phone, doesn't tell TGO.
End result. No Brits or Americans die in Syria and the Arabs continue doing what they have happily done for 1400 years - killing each other and any handy infidels.
What's not to like?
Posted by: backofanenvelope | Sunday, 03 March 2013 at 14:14
Sounds good to me!
Posted by: David Duff | Sunday, 03 March 2013 at 15:37
Actually did recognize Able's reference David, the Wiki entry is almost word-for-word what's in The Bluejacket's Manual.
"Gas" in Arkansas parly voo can mean either, something one puts in a pickup to make it take one to the liquor store or two, what blows out to sea (in your direction, prevailing winds you know) from Washington DC.
I like BOE's turn of thought! (Except that 'The One' would be making demands for the BlackWatch to deploy).
Posted by: JK | Sunday, 03 March 2013 at 17:41