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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ish who wrote (386688)	4/7/2003 9:25:50 AM
From: gerard mangiardi	Respond to of 769667

Ish that build up started under Clinton and in his campaign Bush wanted to build up conventional military and SDS.

To: Ish who wrote (386688)	4/7/2003 11:50:41 AM
From: Johannes Pilch	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769667

Clinton not only cut personnel, he also cut the technology, building upon technology only later in his tenure due to the criticism he received from Republicans. For example under Clinton our air power was cut virtually in half, from 24 to 13 fighter air wings. Our naval fleet was cut about 40 percent from 546 to 333. Clinton also made drastic cuts, more than half, in contractor quality control staff, and this resulted in poorer quality technology that cost billions of dollars in wasted tax funds. Clinton cut training, maintenance and technological upgrades of our weaponry, leaving us with a lack of spare parts and aging equipment. One Rand study showed that under Reagan 90 percent of our F-16s were rated “mission capable.” Under Clinton that figure plummeted to 77 percent. Parts from many older F-16s literally were being used to keep other F-16s flying. You will recall a serious problem we had in the late 90s with an increase in accidents due to Clinton’s cutbacks in aircraft maintenance. Moreover, Clinton did not cut the military to rely more upon technology. He himself claimed to ‘loathe the military,’ a thing Bush has never claimed. Clinton cut the military budget because he erroneously claimed America simply didn’t need its military as it then stood. He claimed we didn’t need our existing military because America could enjoy a “peace dividend.” It was stupidity – stupidity for which we are still paying. Clinton can by no means take credit for our military prowess. Our military was built up by Reagan in the 80's, which allowed us to handily destroy Iraq in the late 80's-early 90's under Bush I. It was dealt a serious blow during the 90's under Clinton. It was built up during the late 90's because of a Republican Congress that boldly appropriated even more funds to the Pentagon than what was requested. Gerry is just naive, stupid, ill informed or all of the above if he thinks Clinton can take credit for anything military.