The Kabuki Dance Continues

I'm sure many of you know that I am not proponent of annual trillion dollar military spending.

Between the annual cost of keeping these occupations going in the sandbox (at least $200 billion a year) and the current state of both our country and our economy, the Military industrial complex is also on the dole. Big time.....

Just a word on the costs of these occupations: The $200 billion dollar a year cost comes from $1 million dollar a year soldiers in Afghanistan, paying mercenaries, the annual $3 billion bribe to Pakistan and paying Afghan folks not to attack our troops and supplies. Add in the costs to maintain 49,000 boots on the ground in Iraq and mercenaries and I think $200 billion dollars a year is a reasonable estimate. Of course the costs of these occupations are not reflected in the military budget.

On May 12^th Lockheed vows to attack F-35 costs.

On May 13^th the military reported the F-35 does not meet requirements.

On May 16^th the military said STOVL tests said to be ‘going very well’.

On May 18^th our congresscritters admitted to being 'troubled' by the spiraling cost of the F-35.

One question you must ask yourself: why are our congresscritters concerned about the spiraling cost? Wikipedia has notoriously lowball figures for United States military expendatures. They put the cost of the F-35 at $122 million dollars for the F-35A and $140 million for the F-35C. I really can't see these folks getting excited about paying $140 million for an aircraft.

My question to Lockheed or the DoD: Why don't your tell us the cost of the entire F-35 fleet - all 10 planes we already own? I maintain these POSs are at least $243 million dollars. Each.

Canada is unhappy about the costs of the F-35. Japan appears to be on the edge of dropping the F-35 also. Too bad We The People can't cancel this MIC welfare program.

they should reconsider buying any aircraft right now.

they have bigger worries.

"Too bad We The People can't cancel this MIC welfare program."

Fuckin' A.

With a little editing, your post would make an excellent LTTE.