Comments on: Pentagon sells excess military gear to anybody http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/ Protect yourself from government gaffes, bureaucratic blunders and incumbent incompetence Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:25:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michael Hampton http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10444 Michael Hampton Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:10:56 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10444 You disagree with documented facts? Okay... You disagree with documented facts? Okay…

]]> By: John http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10443 John Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:30:32 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10443 I disagree with the characterization of "anybody" and the implication that the DOD would sell items that are critical to national security to a terrorist organization. They apply a more stringent anti-fraud practices to each purchase than the private sector. I'm just saying there are checks in place, but they may not be obvious. I disagree with the characterization of “anybody” and the implication that the DOD would sell items that are critical to national security to a terrorist organization. They apply a more stringent anti-fraud practices to each purchase than the private sector. I’m just saying there are checks in place, but they may not be obvious.

]]> By: Michael Hampton http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10442 Michael Hampton Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:02:39 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10442 I already did. It's not my fault if you are too stupid to read before making idiotic comments like that. I already did. It’s not my fault if you are too stupid to read before making idiotic comments like that.

]]> By: Jeff http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10441 Jeff Mon, 18 Feb 2008 11:33:05 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10441 Sweet, now that you put this up, want to give out the best places to go get some of this stuff? Quit whining about it and lets get this stuff into american hands and keep it that way. Sweet, now that you put this up, want to give out the best places to go get some of this stuff? Quit whining about it and lets get this stuff into american hands and keep it that way.

]]> By: Military gives police free surplus equipment - Homeland Stupidity http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10440 Military gives police free surplus equipment - Homeland Stupidity Sun, 28 Jan 2007 11:48:01 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10440 [...] Ordinary citizens can also take advantage of the same military-direct surplus, though only after law enforcement agencies have picked through and taken most of the good stuff. Comments RSS - Trackback URI [...] [...] Ordinary citizens can also take advantage of the same military-direct surplus, though only after law enforcement agencies have picked through and taken most of the good stuff. Comments RSS – Trackback URI [...]

]]> By: Michael Hampton http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10439 Michael Hampton Tue, 21 Nov 2006 07:16:54 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10439 The problem here is not the sale of the items to the public. I'm all for that. The problem here is that the public already paid full price (or more!) for the items through violent taxation and the stuff wound up on eBay, or just walking out via five-finger discount. The solution, of course, is to skip the taxation and the DoD and just sell the stuff direct to the public. :) The problem here is not the sale of the items to the public. I’m all for that.

The problem here is that the public already paid full price (or more!) for the items through violent taxation and the stuff wound up on eBay, or just walking out via five-finger discount.

The solution, of course, is to skip the taxation and the DoD and just sell the stuff direct to the public. :)

]]> By: John Wayne http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10438 John Wayne Tue, 21 Nov 2006 07:00:23 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10438 As a devoted libertarian, I see no reason why the sale of items such as ceramic body armor plates (an example mentioned in the article) to private citizens is offensive to liberty. While the federal government is certainly the greatest threat to Americans' freedom, the sale of such military equipment to US citizens is a GOOD thing (unless they're ripping people off or the equipment is defective, of course). That stuff could be very useful if we ever have to take up arms against the government in a guerrilla war. Folks, all the words in the world cannot do the slightest thing to protect freedom. Only naked FORCE can do that. Its use shouldn't be something we hope for, but we'd darn well better be prepared to use it. Rifles and body armor are crucial equipment that no true libertarian will ever go without. As a devoted libertarian, I see no reason why the sale of items such as ceramic body armor plates (an example mentioned in the article) to private citizens is offensive to liberty. While the federal government is certainly the greatest threat to Americans’ freedom, the sale of such military equipment to US citizens is a GOOD thing (unless they’re ripping people off or the equipment is defective, of course). That stuff could be very useful if we ever have to take up arms against the government in a guerrilla war.

Folks, all the words in the world cannot do the slightest thing to protect freedom. Only naked FORCE can do that. Its use shouldn’t be something we hope for, but we’d darn well better be prepared to use it. Rifles and body armor are crucial equipment that no true libertarian will ever go without.

]]> By: TheMan http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10437 TheMan Fri, 28 Jul 2006 02:17:52 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10437 This is simply a cover story to divert attention from something else. While these kind of things are bad there is nothing that can be done about it under the current procurement system. People have been making jokes about it since WWI. The root of the problem lies directly with congressional oversight and blindsight. A business from your district is bidding for some item, the business man contacts his congressional people to see if they can help. They then go to work spending your hard earned money pusing to get the business the contract. (It looks good for them, they claim they created jobs in their district, the business man puts money in their campaign coffers and now owes them a favor.) The man in the field has to order 1000 pieces of X to get the 100 he needs. But the order was placed and now there are 900 pieces of X in the system somewhere. Sometimes the supply officer gets all he asks for so he uses the extra to barter for the things he doesn't get. By and large most things get used. Many cost more than they should but for the size of the government purchasing the amount of actual surplus is pretty low. (with a couple of exceptions. the draw down after major conflicts when there is lots of equipment that is excess and unused. also when the government phases out a product like the jeep for the hummer.) The outrage shouldn't be the small amount of surplus but the outrageous price gouging and the problems with logistics that require supply officers to order more than they need. But as long as the system works the way it does it will continue to happen. This is simply a cover story to divert attention from something else. While these kind of things are bad there is nothing that can be done about it under the current procurement system. People have been making jokes about it since WWI.

The root of the problem lies directly with congressional oversight and blindsight. A business from your district is bidding for some item, the business man contacts his congressional people to see if they can help. They then go to work spending your hard earned money pusing to get the business the contract. (It looks good for them, they claim they created jobs in their district, the business man puts money in their campaign coffers and now owes them a favor.)

The man in the field has to order 1000 pieces of X to get the 100 he needs. But the order was placed and now there are 900 pieces of X in the system somewhere. Sometimes the supply officer gets all he asks for so he uses the extra to barter for the things he doesn’t get.

By and large most things get used. Many cost more than they should but for the size of the government purchasing the amount of actual surplus is pretty low. (with a couple of exceptions. the draw down after major conflicts when there is lots of equipment that is excess and unused. also when the government phases out a product like the jeep for the hummer.)

The outrage shouldn’t be the small amount of surplus but the outrageous price gouging and the problems with logistics that require supply officers to order more than they need. But as long as the system works the way it does it will continue to happen.

]]> By: Lori Price http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10436 Lori Price Thu, 27 Jul 2006 19:15:01 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10436 I am linking "Pentagon sells excess military gear to anybody" to the Citizens For Legitimate Government website http://www.legitgov.org/ and cited in Friday's CLG newsletter. BTW, I am waiting for the treason trials of Bush, Cheney Halliburton, Rumsfeld and Rove to begin. Cheers, Lori R. Price Gen. Mgr. Citizens For Legitimate Government http://www.legitgov.org/ I am linking “Pentagon sells excess military gear to anybody” to the Citizens For Legitimate Government website http://www.legitgov.org/ and cited in Friday’s CLG newsletter.
BTW, I am waiting for the treason trials of Bush, Cheney Halliburton, Rumsfeld and Rove to begin.

Cheers,
Lori R. Price
Gen. Mgr.
Citizens For Legitimate Government
http://www.legitgov.org/

]]> By: Michael Hampton http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10435 Michael Hampton Thu, 27 Jul 2006 18:27:37 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/07/26/pentagon-sells-excess-military-gear-to-anybody/#comment-10435 All of the computers I saw had had their hard drives removed entirely. All of the computers I saw had had their hard drives removed entirely.

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