Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to Lafayette in 1823 that went as follows: "I do not believe with Rochefoucaults and Montaignes, that fourteen of fifteen men are rogue. I believe a great abatement from that proportion may be made in favor of general honesty. But I have always found that rogues would be uppermost, and I do not know that proportion is to strong for higher orders... These set out with stealing people's good opinion, and then steal from them right of withdrawing it by contriving laws and associations against power of people themselves."

"He voted against this piece of hardware and this billion dollar gadget that's guaranteed to kill thousands. Oh, horror!"

The horror indeed. I remember looking at records of dark lord Cheney when he was a congressman, and Powell and Bush I back in day when they were championing "peace dividend" and advocating cuts in military that were much deeper than what Kerry voted against. I know hypocrisy and thought that now predominantly Republican military would find out truth.

Then reason kicked me in head. No news is ever good news, with Bush loose. Sure they're saying that we're going to save $48 billion dollars over 20 years but my question is where are they going to spend savings. After all this "conservative" President is most spendthrift commander-in-thief this country has ever known.

Let me take a couple of guesses. How about battle-field nuclear weapons, or maybe fantasy program that continues under assumption that it's wise to spend trillions of dollars in stratosphere for a sci-fi wet dream known as "Star Wars" targeted at stopping Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles?(It's a dream because if it ain't 100% perfect it don't matter) Or better yet, another war or Republican directed government waste that funnels off profit to private companies at expense of taxpayers? After all they are Republicans and this is your money we're talking about.

Another thing struck me as odd. Isn't it strange that there is only going to be a savings of $48 billion over 20 years when they're proposing closing of 180 bases and we spend well over $400 billion a year on military? I mean where is all rest of money going. That's only $13,333,333.34 dollars per base, per year. We spent $420.7 billion on military last year not including expenditures for Iraq and Afghanistan (don't get me started). So where did rest of $418.3 billion go?

If I'm doing my math correctly and assuming that military budget stays at present amount over next 20 years that means that we'll spend well over $8 trillion protecting this great nation (by way we kicked King George's ass without a standing army or navy and more recently got our asses kicked not once but twice by 3rd world nations).

$48 billion is like .6% of total budget.

Let me say that again:

The budgets for 180 bases for next 20 years equals .6 (YES THAT'S POINT 6) %(PERCENT) of total military budget.

So my question is where is all rest of $7,952,000,000,000 (SEVEN TRILLION, NINE-HUNDRED AND FIFTY-TWO BILLION DOLLARS) going to be spent if it's not being spent on military bases?

Chew on that but here's list of where it's not going to be spent:

Alaska Kulis Air Guard Station

Arizona Air Force Research Lab, Mesa Allen Hall Armed Forces Reserve Center, Tucson

Arkansas El Dorado Armed Forces Reserve Center Stone U.S. Army Reserve Center, Pine Bluff

California Armed Forces Reserve Center Bell Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Oakland Defense Finance and Accounting Service, San Bernardino Defense Finance and Accounting Service, San Diego Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Seaside Naval Support Activity Corona Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, Detachment Concord Navy-Marine Corps Reserve Center, Encino Navy-Marine Corps Reserve Center, Los Angeles Onizuka Air Force Station Riverbank Army Ammunition Plant

Connecticut Sgt. Libby U.S. Army Reserve Center, New Haven Submarine Base New London Turner U.S. Army Reserve Center, Fairfield U.S. Army Reserve Center Maintenance Support Facility, Middletown

Delaware Kirkwood U.S. Army Reserve Center, Newark

Florida Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Orlando Navy Reserve Center, St. Petersburg

Georgia Fort Gillem Fort McPherson Inspector/Instructor, Rome Naval Air Station Atlanta Naval Supply Corps School, Athens U.S. Army Reserve Center, Columbus

Hawaii Army National Guard Reserve Center, Honokaa

Idaho Navy Reserve Center, Pocatello

Illinois Armed Forces Reserve Center, Carbondale Navy Reserve Center, Forest Park

Indiana Navy Marine Corps Reserve Center, Grissom Air Reserve Base, Bunker Hill Navy Recruiting District Headquarters, Indianapolis Navy Reserve Center, Evansville Newport Chemical Depot U.S. Army Reserve Center, Lafayette U.S. Army Reserve Center, Seston

Iowa Navy Reserve Center, Cedar Rapids Navy Reserve Center, Sioux City Navy-Marine Corps Reserve Center, Dubuque

Kansas Kansas Army Ammunition Plant