This was worrisome, until I realized it has to be a hoax.
I mean, a cut that amounts to less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the budget can't possibly ground 33% of combat aircraft, right? If the people in charge are competent.
But the real hint is the name of the general in the story. He's trying to hold the country hostage to the idea that military spending must not be cut at all. So of course his name is "Gen. Mike Hostage."
Sure it is. Good one.
Nod to Anonyman
I mean, a cut that amounts to less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the budget can't possibly ground 33% of combat aircraft, right? If the people in charge are competent.
But the real hint is the name of the general in the story. He's trying to hold the country hostage to the idea that military spending must not be cut at all. So of course his name is "Gen. Mike Hostage."
Sure it is. Good one.
Nod to Anonyman
4 comments:
Holy crap. I did not believe your last line 'So of course his name is "Gen. Mike Hostage."' so I looked it up and it is. Than is his name!
No more cuts for the army. This may actually be worth the army budget.
Damn it, Hostage won!
This is classic bureaucratic showboating when it comes to budget cuts. At the municipal level, when the budget is cut 5% they first eliminate fire stations, and reduce police patrols. They never furlough the summer activities coordinator for the parks department, or reduce the training budget for the school administrative staff. Cut it where it hurts the people most. It represents all that's wrong with the motivation of government leaders.
Uh... 487 billion over ten years is more like 8 percent of the DoD budget, which isn't all that small. As for "the people in charge [being] competent" and the "classic bureaucratic showboating" the whole point of the sequestration is that it does not allow for juggling of funds. Each and every major account takes the same percentage cut.
Yes, this is stupid and the effect is painful. It was supposed to be painful. That was going to be the great incentive that got Democrats and Republicans to cooperate on a budget. Remember?
My first thought when I heard that the cuts would ground a third of the planes was, "Well, that's a good start."
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