Pentagon clearly in touch with the common mans worries

Johonny

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Tue Jun-29-10 07:03 PM
Original message

Pentagon clearly in touch with the common mans worries

"Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday he wants to trim some of the billions of dollars the Pentagon spends on weapons systems and contractor services, part of a Pentagon-wide effort to find $100 billion in savings in the next five years." This will come from "unnecessary spending by defense contractors that provide the military with everything from fighter jets to janitors." The article notes "Gates' acquisition chief" Ashton Carter, who met with executives on Monday, "said that the profits of defense firms will not suffer, since the Pentagon was encouraging them to cut costs by being more productive. That could include using fewer workers on a project or cutting their material costs, he said."

So profits won't suffer. Wow you know I was worried government contractors won't make the same profits during hard economic times they did in good ones. Well at least the pentagon narrowed the suffering to the workers who will lose their job or work longer unpaid hours to make up for the missing workers. Oh and the troops who get to enjoy dieing due to inferior material usage in cost cutting measures. But once again profits won't suffer. I'll sleep better tonight.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

GAspnes

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Tue Jun-29-10 07:09 PM
Response to Original message

1. Profits aren't patriotic

After all, if the defense contractors *really* loved America, they'd work for cost, virtue being its own reward and such.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Bigmack

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Wed Jun-30-10 09:43 AM
Response to Reply #1

8. I've wondered about that for over 50 years...

I first heard the term "war profiteer" when I was a kid, and couldn't imagine how that was possible. If it was a war, and our country was involved, and people were being drafted, and we were all supposed to sacrifice.....why would the people who make the tools for that war expect to make a profit.

Now I'm more enlightened.... I now say that "cost plus 2%" would be fair. That way, the company could still expand into other products.

Damn... am I naive or what?

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Jackpine Radical

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Tue Jun-29-10 07:10 PM
Response to Original message

2. I'm glad to see such clear thinking and proper appreciation

for what really matters in these affairs.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

msongs

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Tue Jun-29-10 07:12 PM
Response to Original message

3. the only to way to actually have savings is to cut profits. is gates retarded or just acting it? nt

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

jp11

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Tue Jun-29-10 07:22 PM
Response to Original message

4. Maybe it is my warped ming but that sounds like

insanity, we'll keep overpaying for crap, letting them take longer than they were given, charge us more than they were supposed to and of course keep feeding them billions for new crap we don't need. All the while increasing 'productivity', sounds familiar for some reason, do more with less and so on.

Guess we have to protect defense contractors because they are driving our economy, not like we could take the money we give them and put it towards getting something worthwhile for our money like infrastructure, rebuilding our country or having the money count for tangible gains over just putting it in the pockets of the rich.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Angry Dragon

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Tue Jun-29-10 07:31 PM
Response to Original message

5. Could you post a link??

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Johonny

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Wed Jun-30-10 09:27 AM
Response to Reply #5

6. not to that quote

it's from a subscribed service, but here's a related article.

http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20100629/ACQUISITION03/6290304/1055/AGENCY

Carter said several times during the press conference that the intention of Pentagon brass is not to cut into companies' profits. Rather, they intend to use cutting costs � which should swell firms' profits � as a way to incentivize companies to eliminate unneeded overhead

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Angry Dragon

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Wed Jun-30-10 09:37 AM
Response to Reply #6

7. Thank You

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

DU AdBot (1000+ posts)

Mon Apr 29th 2024, 02:00 PM
Response to Original message

Advertisements [?]

Top

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators

Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.