Budget Cuts in the Department of Defense

If you think I am opposed to budget cuts, your wrong. If you think I want higher taxes, your wrong. Alright, that said, lets get to today's topic. In today's local paper, which is the Bangor Daily News for me, there was an article on the cutting of the DoDs budget. It covers the items being cut. Here is why they are cutting the budget for the F-22 Raptor which is the best fighter jet in the world "The Raptor is ill-suited to deterring roadside bombs in Iraq or hunting insurgents who vanish into the Afghan mountains." Alright, makes sense. I support the cut based on that explanation. It makes sense. Why develop an expensive weapon for another war at another time when we have a different kind of war right now. It makes sense. Except the next part where "A $160 billion Army system of combat vehicles, flying sensors, and bomb-hunting robots would be reduced." So, flying sensors and bomb-hunting robots also do not help fight roadside bombs or hunt insurgents who vanish into the Afghan mountains.
This is where the reasoning for the F-22 goes out the window. This is where my appreciation of the responsibility of the budgets, even if I don't believe they have any sense of responsibility at all, goes down even more. Yes, it is possible to always go lower than you already are. (Hitler anyone?) So, the new low isn't really comparable to anything right now because this low is a different kind of low. The economy isn't at rock bottom, our wars are not a devastating defeat with us sacraficing territory in peace treaties and all that stuff, and our leader isn't a genocidal maniac. Well, I have to go, part two will be coming up later (maybe.)

Human Rights

If you scroll down a ways you will find a post called HUman Rights. Well, without even noticing I forgot to give credit to someone. Za Ro, a close friend, helped me create that list. We spent several weeks discussing applications and uses of rights and the boundaries of government in upholding it. I mention this now because firstly you should have some introduction to him, and secondly because I prefer to give credit where it is due. The reason you will have this introduction is because every so often he will contribute to this blog. Without even knowing it he already has through that, I simply forgot to mention it. Now tomorrow will be his breakout moment, his move to the spotlight (at least in terms of this blog) and I have no doubt that he will surprise you. Now, my focus has been, well, nowhere really. His focus overall will be on social issues. I do not mean politically social issues, I mean issues. Read personal deals within people's lives that we all face. It will be less humorous, maybe a little dark, and his writing style may need some touching up, but like I've said before the message matters more than the delivery. Unlike my writing it is his opinion all the way through, his observations, his life. This does not mean I am using it to shock anyone. I doubt anyone will find any fault in what he has to say. Maybe on a substantial level of agreement to the impact of the issue, that might come up but I'll take that torch. He is simply going to put the knowledge he knows of people's lives and suffering here and how you can help people who are struggling. He has no political affiliation and wishes to remain as such. Considering the forum he will be on, I urge you to turn off political hatred when reading a Za Ro post and absorb it as the wisdom of someone who has seen it all before being 16. That is what surprises me about him is his age, and how he is so far beyond it in every way. Tomorrow, his post will be here, it covers how you can help people. I hope you enjoy it, gain from it, or at least don't get hurt by it. Thank you for reading.