You really have no credibility with me, or probably many people, when you say we should dissolve the Army. It’s an ignorant statement in today’s climate of terrorism, rogue nations, and such. But, you are probably one of those nuts that thinks America is responsible for all that anyway.

My suggestion is much simpler: if the dot.gov wants to blow billions of bucks, why don’t they just buy up the foreclosed houses, have HUD refurbish them, and rent them out, WITH A/D MILITARY AND VETERANS AT THE TOP OF THEIR PRIORITY LIST. That way, they get solid, stable families in the houses, and the principal of those families is PAID by the dot.gov, so they have ultimate control over the rent getting paid promptly.

The Feds would own the properties, and when the real estate values in those markets pick back up, they can sell the houses on the open market, to INDIVIDUALS who PROPERLY qualify for a federally-secured mortgage.

Second, I think, as a Government employee, you may be living a bit insulated. You have a pension which will never go away, for all intents and purposes, you can never be fired or laid off, you have GOVERNMENT medical care etc.

The economy is teetering on a replay of the great depression. Banks are failing at an astounding rate, homes are being closed up and people are walking away, unemployment will be over 10% soon headed to 20% due to the “paradox of thrift”.

I agree that deficits will be a problem but right now the patient is dying on the operating room table. When the heart stops, you don’t worry too much at that moment about the “side effects” of busting open the chest and doing a hand massage of the heart.

I remember when McCain was telling us there really was no problem and the economy was “strong”. Bush, as late as the beginning of the summer was telling us the economy was OK even though we now know we were in recession as early as December 2007.

How we got here is an argument for a different day; I would love to have a non ideological debate on this but for right now, we are sinking fast.

My recommendation to bring down the deficit. Cut the defense budget by 2/3s. Bring all the troops home and downsize it dramatically. Use that money to reduce fossil fuel use by 3/4s in 5 years. This will make the “terrorist” countries far more impotent than we ever will with troops in their country and it will be far cheaper in the long run. Hard to be a terrorist when you have to use every bit of energy just to get enough food to eat.

I ideologically support the fact that the Government should not be paying people for making bad mistakes. Just like I ideologically support the fact that we should go back to the founding fathers and dissolve this large standing army we have right now.

But, then there is reality. Reality is I have to put up with the incredible incompetence of the Pentagon and the Army because I have to take that to get the defense I need.

Reality is also that it is far better for you and I to have less and less people, by any means, stay in their homes.

Rick and you make the same mistake Bush made: Your ideology overrides your common sense.