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Politics : Bush-The Mastermind behind 9/11? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rock_nj who wrote (7934)	8/23/2004 6:56:45 PM
From: TimF	Respond to of 20039

Well, if the Democrats are swept into power this fall, will it really change the fundamental power structure of our government? Probably not. Elections usually don't change the government in fundamental ways. This is more often than not a good thing, but even when it is a bad thing it doesn't make the elections a sham. Clinton didn't change the military industrial complex much when he had a Democratic Congress in the early 1990s. The navy was shrunk by about 180 ships, the air force was cut from 35 tactical wings to 20, the army was cut from 18 divisions to 10. The overall level of military personal was cut by about 40%. The defense budget as a %of GDP went to a post World War II low, and even now, after later increases, it is at low levels compared to most of the last 60+ years. If "changing the military industrial complex" means 80% cuts, or maybe just getting rid of our military entirely then your right that it wasn't changed but I don't think most people would define a 40% reduction to be no change, and however they define it few people would have supported a 50%+ reduction. If one party argued for say a 75% reduction it would make the system more democratic or less of a sham, it would have made the other party win in a landslide. There's just too many people with their hands in the defense till to make a difference working within the two major war parties. Yes there are a lot of people with their hands in the till, but the majority of people who support a strong defense don't have their hands in the till. For many it is a matter of policy preference, even a matter of principle, not just a matter of what government spending gets kicked their way. Tim