Job Discussion Forums

[Sirens of Cyprus]

As I understand it, a year or two ago, the Saudi Air Force bought a ton of hardware from the USA, and it was a package deal that came with English language training, the location of which may or may not have been specified. Some of it seems to have been planned for the USA, some for Saudi. Since this training seems to have been bought and paid for, it can't be affected by the sequester, right? The training in Saudi seems to be going forward, but the part planned for the USA seems to be on hold. I have conflicting reports. Anybody here know anything?

[veiledsentiments]

As to the sequester, nobody knows the effects... including the US government and/or the military.

But I expect that there will be plenty of speculation and finger pointing.

VS

[scot47]

Can you start at the beginning and tell us who sequestered what and why ?

[Sirens of Cyprus]

Given your reading preferences, I refer you to Pravda on the Potomac's Woodward, who points out that the sequester was thought up by you know who. But of course he's blaming it on the Republicans. But let's not get into another political argument. I wonder what the DLI instructors in San Antonio have to say. I hear they are going to be put on intermittent unpaid leave or something. I wonder if any of them are trying to switch to a contractor.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/bob-woodward-obamas-sequester-deal-changer/2013/02/22/c0b65b5e-7ce1-11e2-9a75-dab0201670da_story.html

[scot47]

So you want us to believe some looney right-wing conspiracy theory about ZOG ?

[johnslat]

"Whose idea was the sequester? And does it matter? The Republicans point to Bob Woodward's book as evidence it's the 'Obamaquester.' Democrats counter with a Boehner slideshow that just resurfaced. The public is left scratching its head.


"The Republican effort to brand the latest Beltway crisis as the �Obama sequester� � by repeating that phrase over and over � should not be dismissed, says Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Ms. Jamieson agrees that it�s a game, but it�s still important.

�The Democrats have not effectively developed a line and repeated it as often [in a way] that offers the alternative narrative,� she says. �The nature of repetition is such that when we hear something repeated and unrebutted, we�re likely to believe it.�

Actually, Goebbels should be given the credit; it's called The Big Lie

"Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels was the master of the �big lie� tactic in which a lie, no matter how outrageous, is repeated often enough that it will eventually be accepted as truth. Goebbels explained:

�If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2013/0220/Whose-idea-was-the-sequester-And-does-it-matter-video/(page)/2

Regards,
John

P.S. Oh, congratulation Sirens - my guess it that you've gotten your own thread locked (pretty soon.) .

[Sirens of Cyprus]

For what? Taking Mr. Scot's bait? He knows what the sequester is. I just took a nibble. I'm ignoring his ZOG comment. WTF?

However, John, your CSM opinion needs a bit of balance, so I'm referring anyone interested to Mr. Derbyshire (See Item #3):

http://www.johnderbyshire.com/Opinions/RadioDerb/2013-02-23.html

But enough background info. Please let's hear from people who know anything about the status of the recent or proposed contracts to teach the Saudi Air Force.

[scot47]

I had never even heard of this until I read your post. It always surprises people from the US to hear that in the outside world we do not follow stories about lobbying and the Military Industrial Complex in DC.

Andd it always surprises me that our cousins across the pond expect us to be au fait with the minutiae of Gringo Politics !

[Sirens of Cyprus]

Point taken. I myself had to google ZOG, but what the heck does it have to do with the effect of the sequester on contracts to teach the Saudi Air Force?

[johnslat]

Dear Sirens of Cyprus,

I think you've answered you own question - in a way - anyway.

"Since this training seems to have been bought and paid for, it can't be affected by the sequester, right?"

Right.

Also, Medicare, Social Security and VA benefits will not be affected (in case anyone's interested,)

Regards,
John

[Sirens of Cyprus]

Well, I'm not sure it really has been bought and paid for or whether the USA could modify the deal. And there may be an indirect effect if the teachers at the DLI in San Antonio and elsewhere jump ship and apply for the contractor positions. I assume they would go to the head of the line.

[johnslat]

Not sure if this will be of any help, but just in case . . .

"Civilian Furloughs Hit Hard; Also, Check If You Lose �Prime�
Most of the 800,000 Department of Defense civilian employees will see their workweeks shortened and their pay cut by 20 percent from late April through September, if Congress, as now expected, fails to stop $46 billion in indiscriminate defense budget cuts set to take effect March 1.
With lawmakers on a nine-day President�s Day recess, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta officially notified Congress Feb. 20 of the department�s intent to furlough the �vast majority� of its civilian workers. This, he said, will be necessary if Republicans and Democrats continue to refuse to negotiate a �balanced� debt-reduction deal to defuse or delay the �sequestration� budget bomb built into the 2011 Budget Control Act.
The furloughs would capture about $5 billion of needed savings but would hit overall readiness along with other plans to cut stateside base operations, reduce military training except for next-to-deploy units, delay maintenance of ships, aircraft, vehicles and facilities, suspend many scheduled ship deployments and make deep cuts in aircraft flying hours. "

for more

http://www.military.com/benefits/2013/02/21/furloughs-and-tricare-prime-rollback.html

Regards,
John