Is Cutting The Pentagon's Budget A Gift To Our Enemies?

Open to Debate

Education, News, Society & Culture

4.6 • 2.2K Ratings

🗓️ 24 June 2013

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Political gridlock in Washington triggered across-the-board spending cuts, known as the sequester, in March. As a result, the Pentagon was given six months to eliminate $41 billion from the current year’s budget, and unlike past cuts, this time everything is on the table. In 2011, America spent $711 billion dollars on its defense—more than the next 13 highest spending countries combined. But the burdens it shoulders, both at home and abroad, are unprecedented. Could the sequester be a rare opportunity to overhaul the armed forces, or will its impact damage military readiness and endanger national security? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, what's my schedule for it today?
0:01.6	This morning you have sunrise yoga 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.
0:04.7	Poppy training class 8 30 a.m. to 9 30 a.m.
0:07.8	Presentation calls in office 10 a.m. to 12 30 p.m.
0:11.0	Client meeting 2 p.m. to...
0:12.5	Oh, okay, that's enough.
0:15.6	Morning, welcome to McDonald's. Can I take your order?
0:18.2	McCarthy ice latte, please.
0:20.2	Take on your day with a McCarthy ice latte.
0:22.6	Now back with a tasty new recipe.
0:25.8	Available until the 5th of September, subject to availability.
0:31.0	6,768.
0:34.1	That is the number of warships in the U.S. Navy
0:36.8	in the waning days of the Second World War.
0:40.0	288 ships, that is the number of ships in the U.S. Navy,
0:44.3	in the opening days of 2013.
0:47.3	215, that is what a Secretary of Defense warns
0:51.4	that the Navy will shrink to because of budget cuts
0:53.8	from the so-called sequester.
0:55.1	And the Navy hasn't had a Navy that small since 1915
0:59.4	when our warships still burned coal to get around.
1:02.1	Obviously, times change, budget constraints change,
	...

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