By Jesse Jose

A Cup O' Kapeng Barako
 

I t's a done deal!

On Tuesday, August 2nd of this week, the mainstream newspapers all over America scream, "It's A Done Deal!"  The debt limit has been raised daw. 

Hey, I say, "BS!"

Polls taken by The Washington Post and other leading mainstream newspapers of America have found that the "most common words" Americans have used to describe this palabas boxing match in Congress between the GOPs and the LIBs, with the Tea Party "ki-bitching" in between, were:

"Ridiculous." 

"Disgusting."

And, "stupid."

I agree, but to me, two letters sufficed: BS!  With the letters LOL after it. Or better yet, as my good friend, Ed Navarra, would say, LMFAO!  Y'all know Ed, right?  He's the current CEO of NaFFAA.  His initials are EJN. I dunno what the middle letter, "J" stands for. Jolly, perhaps? But y'all know what NaFFAA stands for, I mean, what it means?  Get my drift?

I think I am also drifting in the wrong direction with this story. I wanted to write about the so-called "Debt Ceiling." As I said in my column last week, It would be raised. I was right. Another feather in my cap, ha?  To my detractors and critics, and I have many, eat your hearts out.   

Anyway ... It was agreed by the majority in the Senate and House and signed with a left-handed flair by BHO, that America will raise the debt ceiling in stages by at least $2.1-trillion and up to $2.4-trillion from $14.3-trillion ... with an equal amount in spending cuts and no tax hikes. And that America ought to lessen the growth in the national debt over the next ten years by $2-trillion. Tit for tat, in other words.  A game, full of baloney.

I wouldn't know how to count in trillions. Do you? Like the debt, it's beyond my depth.  

For easier counting, that is $200-billion a year. I still wouldn't know how to count in billions either, nor in millions, for that matter. I flunked math twice in college.

O ver the next ten years, the White House says, "the immediate cap on all spending will cut $1-trillion" from the screwed-up budget. And of that about "$350-billion will come out from military spending."

To me, the questions, really, are: Would that be enough to eliminate the deficit?  Or even to keep America's debt from growing? It would take a lot of belt-tightening. Yeah, I would do it. But what about the fat and the lazy ones and the "gimmes" ... you know, the "give-me-this and give-me-that and give-me-more" PARASITES and PALAMUNINS of this country, would they do it?

CUTS WOULD BE BETWEEN THE MILITARY AND THE PALAMUNINS: Seriously now, the measure passed by the House and the Senate and signed by President Obama will raise the $14.3-trillion debt limit by at least $2.1-trillion. An additional $500-billion could come in November of this year, IF (a big IF), two thirds of Congress would approve. The final increase, expected early next year, would provide the Treasury enough borrowing power to pay its bills into 2013.

The deal as explained by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the American Legion, the two largest veterans organizations in America, which I am member of, calls for sharp cuts in spending -- "about $917-billion over the next ten years -- starting with a 25 billion reduction in fiscal year 2012, which begins Oct.1, with a second set of reductions coming later this year via a special committee charged with wringing at least $1-trillion over the next decade." 

That really sucks for the military!

IF, another big IF, this committee fails to act, or if Congress does NOT adopt its recommendations by December 23, government spending would be CUT ACROSS THE BOARD by the same amount. 

Now, check this out!  With the reductions split fifty-fifty daw, between MILITARY spending (that includes the pay and benefits of active duty service members and of military retirees, like me) and entitlement programs for the PARASITES and PALAMUNINS of America.

Now, ain't that a hain't?  That, definitely, sucks!

That's Obama and the Democrats for you!  Ha!  I tell ya!  Only in America!

Last week, Army General Martin Dempsey, Obama's nominee as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the cuts to the military budget would be a "very high risk."

The newly-appointed Defense Secretary of President Obama, Leon Panetta, said that the roughly half-a-trillion dollars in military spending that would go into effect if Congress fails to act by the end of the year would be "unacceptable" as that could "damage America's national security."

Really? 

D ear Readers, "unacceptable" means no more wars for America to go into.  No more new weapons of mass destruction to be had. No more fighter planes and warships to be built. No more bombs to drop on Libya. No more soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. No more military interference in the Middle East....

In a way, that's a good thing.

But the bad thing is, there would be lesser pay and benefits for America's warriors, wounded ex-warriors, and military retirees, like me. And all of that because America's military will have to split the money fifty-fifty with America's parasites and palumunins. 

Ha!  I tell ya!

BTW ... before I go, I'd like to wish President Barack Hussein Obama a "Happy 50th Birthday."  It was his birthday this past August 4. According to Wikipedia, he was born daw in August 4, 1961 at Kapi'olani Maternity and Gynecological Hospital ... in Honolulu, Hawaii. Y'all got that? Not in Kenya or in Indonesia, or wherever, as many of the Tea drinkers have assumed. Me? I am a Kapeng Barako drinker ... cheers.      

Okey ngarud, that's all.  Done deal na!  As a Filipino would say, "Wawa We!"  We, from the military and its retirees, that is.  Yes, indeed, it sucks.  JJ