Big Al still couldn't afford one of these!

[CRedskinsRule]

To get our budget in line, we need to look at everything, that includes defense, and social services.

I looked at the stats on the Wiki article, but let me ask you this: how are those 8000 tanks getting to our soil (or Japans for that matter).
You want to have concern about Chinese developments, look at their anti aircraft carrier missile development - THAT threatens our regional influence (not our homeland security mind you). Show me a country that is developing a stealth mega-fortress troop carrier that can land 10000+ troops on mexican or canadian soil with no warning, and I will genuinely believe in the need for a full scale replacement of our jet fighter corps but you can't, now or in the next 10 years.

Yes China has advanced stealth fighters (in a few years) but you don't fight stealth with upgraded fighters, you fight them with R&D into missile tech. No where did I say I was against an R&D budget, BUT 2,334 new planes is not an R&D budget, it is a full scale replacement. You do that when the budget is in the black OR when your current equipment is on it's last legs. Ours has proven it's not. (for the record, I was in the military in 1991-1996, no conversation here is meant to demean the soldiers that use our equipment, only the political bosses that spend with reckless abandonment and playing on citizen fears to justify their position)