We need to do what we do best, build and maintain a military that is 20 years ahead of all our adversaries, and restart science in America... We have pissed a lot of money away on medical, it's time to establish permanent colonies on the Moon, Mars, and mine the asteroid belt for precious resources.

No, Congress attached it to a budget or something, it replaces the F16, Harrier, and the F14s, all were practically Vietnam era.

You don't use F22s to bounce off a carrier deck in 30 foot seas, or close air support for ground troops, you use something a lot cheaper, he had no idea what he was talking about with it.

And to elaborate, I'm totally over this whole left-versus-right binary BS!

Michael, I expected better of you, as a Gulch member. Why does criticism of a right-wing entity automatically render the critic a leftie? I'm just as critical of socialism!

Cancelled what, the set-asides? Oh no, he amplified the hell out of it. The ObamaCare website mess was awarded to an African female-owned business from Canada that didn't have much experience building websites, they just figured they would hire people that did. $500 million went down that rat hole until they cut bait and hired Accenture.

Friend of mine works there, they had a new internal slogan for a while after that.. What does Accenture Do? A: We unfck your sht.

Flag.

The Dean Stockman article I am referencing clearly is referencing the current Presidential debates and what most of the Republican candidates are suggesting.

Utopian thinking.
But, I like it. If we could get the majority of the power brokers in Washington to think objectively you'd be completely right. The country is broken and while a vast minority of people think rationally most do not An old rusty broken down car that runs is still better than walking if you need to go a distance. You can wish it to be nice, new and shiny, but it's not. Not the best metaphor but I'm sure you get the point.
And.....that's no bullshit.

When have we not been at war?

Why has congress spent billions on 3 new generation fighter aircraft when an F-15 has never been lost in combat?

Not really, not with Native American, disabled Vet, small business preference, and disadvantaged/minority owned business preference on supplies and service contracts.

Those guys get the research and dev stuff on ten and twenty year terms, they do fine war or peace, and we don't lose ships/planes/tanks to combat action, mostly to age or maintenance issues.

Congress earmarks procurement to district areas to get a vote here and there, the Joint Strike Fighter seems to have pieces made in all 50 states for example.

The downstream echo effect of defense spending is about the best thing we can do anyway, pave a road and you create a few jobs for a few months... Design a new fighter jet and you are talking 10s of thousands of jobs for decades, overseas sales, and technology spinoff and royalty revenue from the civilian sector.

Those workers all spend money and pay taxes, the businesses in the towns they live in employ people and pay taxes.

We also train a high tech and very capable future workforce through military service, I used to wonder where all the money for my paycheck came from when I was in the military, now I pretty much pay for a soldier every year on my own tax return, those skills and the income came from 6 years of service (and college).

I'd be surprised if the government doesn't collect $2 in future taxes for every dollar it spends on defense.

Not really even their own, they threw 10s of thousands of Red Army soldiers at Stalingrad, most without a weapon or ammunition to wear down the German defenses and Ammo supplies.