a terribly popular guy. I hope they can figure out ways to make it as painless as possible.

This is all bullshit. We need to cut our war spending by at least half.

Don't think so, and that has significance.

in his 1st week in office, tasked the Deputy Secretary and Joint Chief's Chairman to look at it and report back, by the end of May, whether budget realities would allow the shift. My intuition is that the President said words to the effect that "I was wrong to imply we could shift our defense focus from Al Qaeda, their Affiliates and Adherents to China; however, I'm never going to say that. Instead, you're going to report back to me that the budget won't support the pivot."

is an outrageously expensive proposition. And it really INVITES challenges more than it quells them. Keep (maybe) ONE base in Europe and one in the Pacific and close ALL the rest - save for those that support scientific endeavors.

I wonder how things will change if we do play a more hands off role. I think generally speaking it will be good but I suspect there will be some situations that might spiral out of control if there is no "cop" to keep things in check... imo.

probably more like a certainty in some spots. But how's about the other nations of those trouble spots stepping up? Look at the tremendous embedding we pulled out of when we left the Philippines - and it's NO worse now than it was when we were there. Heck, if we wanna have a burgeoning military, there's LOTS of places we could revive bases here in the USA - and just imagine where all the money from those domestic posts would flow to!

the Philippines. My wife is from there and I have spent quite a bit of time there as a Peace Corps volunteer and then visiting there many times. No doubt our relationship with the Philippines has improved since we left there.

I'm sick of this shit. Stay home and get the US in check instead.

No more optional wars for the greater glory of Halliburton, Exxon Mobil, and the House of Saud.

Cut the fat, Chuck. If they make a fuss about it, Drone 'em. Right in their boardrooms and crystal palaces.

barely any of which are actual threats. more like challenges to our hegemony or corporate interests.

these cuts are a drop in the bucket, barely even a good start. the entire budget could be balanced on the back of the DoD.