# The Veterans town hall discussion thread - 9.7.16 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 7, 2016, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306 "2016-09-07T23:57:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/41 "2016-09-08T00:51:41Z")
I think Trump just stepped on a shit mine with respect to sexual assault in the military. ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/42 "2016-09-08T00:52:47Z")
My only concern about this is that afterwards even Trump might be capable enough of listening to reason and starting prepping harder for the debates. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/43 "2016-09-08T00:54:02Z")
Prob no. He thinks he is totally winning. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/44 "2016-09-08T00:58:17Z")
He can’t go 1 minute without attacking. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/45 "2016-09-08T00:58:59Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I think Trump just stepped on a shit mine with respect to sexual assault in the military. That was unbelievable. ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/46 "2016-09-08T00:59:04Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I think Trump just stepped on a shit mine with respect to sexual assault in the military. There are many people who think that you’re absolutely incorrect about that. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/47 "2016-09-08T00:59:36Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > I think Trump just stepped on a shit mine with respect to sexual assault in the military. Yup. Twitter is going insane about that one. He apparently was more complimentary about Putin then he was about generals. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/48 "2016-09-08T01:00:57Z")
Watching this I’ve come to realize Trump has two modes during these types of events: Attack or brag. That’s it. Not one ounce of policy or plan. Attack or brag. And when he gets cornered it becomes mean attacks or obnoxious & out-of-place brags. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/49 "2016-09-08T01:01:29Z")
“Our Military is depleted”, we are not strong, we will make it great again… > **[U.S. Military Spending Dwarfs Rest of World](https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/military-spending-cuts/u-s-military-spending-dwarfs-rest-world-n37461)** > > The U.S. will still spend billions of dollars on its armed forces in the years to come, even with the proposed cutbacks. :smack: > [@](#): > > But the U.S. will still spend hundreds of billions of dollars on its armed forces per year, even with the proposed cutbacks. > > The $682 billion spent by the U.S. in 2012, according to the Office of Management and Budget, was more than the combined military spending of China, Russia, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Saudi Arabia, India, Germany, Italy and Brazil — which spent $652 billion, according to the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database. > **[Fact Check: Has President Obama 'Depleted' The Military?](https://www.npr.org/2016/04/29/476048024/fact-check-has-president-obama-depleted-the-military)** > > Republican presidential candidates, led by Donald Trump, claim President Obama has slashed defense spending and will leave his successor with a weaker force. We break it down. > [@](#): > > Gen. Paul Selva, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was asked about whether the U.S. military had, in fact, been “gutted.” No, he argued. If it’s smaller than it could be, it’s still very powerful. > > “At no time in my career have I been more confident than this instant in saying we have the most powerful military on the face of the planet,” Selva said. “Do we have challenges? Of course we do. When you are faced with a global set of threats, you have to make choices on where you focus your energy.” > > One big area of risk, Selva and other Pentagon leaders say, is something that doesn’t get much attention in the political arena — “readiness”: > > -how often soldiers can take target practice; > -how often pilots at home can fly training missions; > -how many days a Navy ship can sail to train before it deploys > > Carter, Selva and the chiefs of the military services say this “readiness” is not where they want it, in case there is a major crisis. > > But many units are very well-prepared, Selva said, and the bottom line is that the U.S. military remains the most powerful on Earth. > > “I don’t engage in politics,” he said. “This is the reality of the men and women that serve in our Army, our Navy, our Air Force and our Marine Corps. They’re the best the world has to offer, and we’re going to keep them that way.” ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/50 "2016-09-08T01:03:04Z")
Trump knows better than the generals, thinks the generals are too political yet he totally respects our military AND he totally has a plan for ISIS, but he might use the generals’ plan. Yep, he’s a leader. :rolleyes: He is “totally prepared”. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/51 "2016-09-08T01:03:38Z")
Now the “generals reduced to rubble line” is catching fire. Damn, he was a holy mess and she came off as Presidential. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/52 "2016-09-08T01:14:41Z")
If I had to sit down to negotiate with either one, it looked like Hillary would be more feisty and to the point, while Donald seemed to care about what others think about him. I’d be more afraid to confront Hillary and think she would get her message across better, but I bet Trump think he’s stronger. Is Trump running against Obama? He must think there is (still) a deep-down hate of Obama that will carry him on this line. I think Trump denigrated the generals and military unnecessarily. I didn’t learn anything about his plans or policies, except “take the oil” and “it’ll be great”. Bleh. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/53 "2016-09-08T01:15:48Z")
Trump will likely said that he was talking about “Generals reduced like Rubble… You Know, Lauer, like that little fellah from the Flintstones…” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/54 "2016-09-08T01:17:24Z")
Overall, I think Trump appeared as unable to remain focused. I think that was my biggest take on the event. Trump just can’t focus. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/55 "2016-09-08T01:28:20Z")
It should be clear to anyone with a brain that this man is not suited to run this country, and that he can’t be trusted to give two shits about anybody in it. His entire spiel at this event was in the interest of self aggrandizement and profit. It should be clear . . . but of course it isn’t. The military is apparently comprised of 45% morons, which is actually an improvement from when I was in. And why were the Strumpettes there? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/56 "2016-09-08T01:50:11Z")
I’m watching the Maddow reaction… is the guy representing the organization in the tank for Trump. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/57 "2016-09-08T02:03:22Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > It should be clear to anyone with a brain that this man is not suited to run this country, and that he can’t be trusted to give two shits about anybody in it. His entire spiel at this event was in the interest of self aggrandizement and profit. It should be clear . . . but of course it isn’t. The military is apparently comprised of 45% morons, which is actually an improvement from when I was in. > > And why were the Strumpettes there? It should have been clear to anyone with half a brain **a long, long time ago**. But here he is, 12 months of half-baked insults, conspiracy theories, and lots of penis braggadocio later. It’s not just 45 percent of the military that’s moronic but more like 45-50 percent of the entire country. We might well have a majority of voters who are not even remotely qualified to participate in a democratic election. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/58 "2016-09-08T02:16:59Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > It should have been clear to anyone with half a brain **a long, long time ago**. But here he is, 12 months of half-baked insults, conspiracy theories, and lots of penis braggadocio later. It’s not just 45 percent of the military that’s moronic but more like 45-50 percent of the entire country. We might well have a majority of voters who are not even remotely qualified to participate in a democratic election. Unfortunately, you’d probably need the military on board if you want to just install Hillary and keep those unqualified people from voting. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/59 "2016-09-08T05:25:41Z")
Shit! Who gave **CarnalK** the password to the Secret Plan servers? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2016, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306/60 "2016-09-08T06:36:41Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Unfortunately, you’d probably need the military on board if you want to just install Hillary and keep those unqualified people from voting. I think that is assured after he insulted all the active duty generals and admirals. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-veterans-town-hall-discussion-thread-9-7-16/765306.md?page=4)