--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hurtling the Pentagon into an…" description: "\"Hurtling the Pentagon into an unprecedented budgetary meltdown is horrifically irresponsible. Obama doesn't care. This is war - not against the Taliban..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/627/john-podhoretz-4983_afghanistan_hurtling-the-pentagon-into-an-unpreceden_1493950.jpg" --- # Hurtling the Pentagon into an unprecedented budgetary… ![“Hurtling the Pentagon into an unprecedented budgetary meltdown is horrifically irresponsible. Obama doesn't care. This is war - not against the Taliban, but war against the GOP. He has Republicans on the ropes, and that's a victory he savors and desires - unlike Afghanistan, where he seems only to…” quote by John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/627/john-podhoretz-4983_afghanistan_hurtling-the-pentagon-into-an-unpreceden_1493950.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/627/john-podhoretz-4983_afghanistan_hurtling-the-pentagon-into-an-unpreceden_1493950.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/627/john-podhoretz-4983_afghanistan_hurtling-the-pentagon-into-an-unpreceden_1493950.jpg) > “Hurtling the Pentagon into an unprecedented budgetary meltdown is horrifically irresponsible. Obama doesn't care. This is war - not against the Taliban, but war against the GOP. He has Republicans on the ropes, and that's a victory he savors and desires - unlike Afghanistan, where he seems only to want to turn tail.” [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Criticizes the administration's defense spending cuts as reckless and politically motivated against **In simple terms:** Calls the budget approach irresponsible and partisan Key Takeaway Highlight the political cost of fiscal decisions Themes politics budget military partisanship Mood critical concerned Type political opinion When to use this quote - Congressional debates - budget negotiations - public policy discussions Key Concepts Fiscal policy political strategy war rhetoric Questions to Reflect On - What are the long‑term impacts of such cuts? - How does partisan framing affect policy outcomes? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex fiscal realities ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afghanistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) [Budgetary Meltdown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/budgetary-meltdown-5462830/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Gop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gop/) [Hurtling Pentagon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hurtling-pentagon-5462828/) [Irresponsible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irresponsible/) [Irresponsible Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irresponsible-obama-5462827/) [Meltdowns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meltdowns/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Pentagon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pentagon/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Rope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rope/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Tails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tails/) [Taliban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taliban/) [Taliban War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taliban-war-5462829/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Unprecedented](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unprecedented/) [Victory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victory/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Taliban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-taliban-1637350/) [Where](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/where/) ## Related quotes > [The American expeditionary force would easily rout the Taliban in a conventional war - which is why there would not be one. 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We're in the middle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-cailliau/there-was-a-time-when-the-community-that-was-on-the-net-was/) [Robert Cailliau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-cailliau/) > [There is a meltdown of authority going on in the world and a corresponding increase of lawlessness. The earth itself is also going through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-joyner/there-is-a-meltdown-of-authority-going-on-in-the-world-and-a/) [Rick Joyner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-joyner/) > [I had the classic 40 meltdown. I did. It's embarrassing. It was pretty funny. But then I recovered. To me, it was like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keanu-reeves/i-had-the-classic-40-meltdown-i-did-it-s-embarrassing-it-was-pretty/) [Keanu Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keanu-reeves/) > [You can have it all without suffering from a meltdown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/you-can-have-it-all-without-suffering-from-a-meltdown/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) > [The Treasury plan is a disgrace: a bailout of reckless bankers, lenders and investors that provides little direct debt relief to borrowers and financially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouriel-roubini/the-treasury-plan-is-a-disgrace-a-bailout-of-reckless-bankers-lenders/) [Nouriel Roubini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouriel-roubini/) > [“It is better to stay single and wait for the one that makes sense then to marry someone that makes absolutely no sense. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/it-is-better-to-stay-single-and-wait-for-the-one-that-makes-sense/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [I struggle to learn by rote. I've had meltdowns on set. Which is embarrassing and shameful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/i-struggle-to-learn-by-rote-i-ve-had-meltdowns-on-set-which-is/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [Normal people have an incredible lack of empathy. They have good emotional empathy, but they don't have much empathy for the autistic kid who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/normal-people-have-an-incredible-lack-of-empathy-they-have-good/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [If we are really serious about preventing another crisis like the 2008 meltdown we should simply ban complex financial instruments, unless they can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/if-we-are-really-serious-about-preventing-another-crisis-like-the/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [The next Wall Street crash is just around the corner. The meltdown of the climate is coming. The wolves are at the door, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/the-next-wall-street-crash-is-just-around-the-corner-the-meltdown-of/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Britney Spears can't hold a conversation. (mind controlled) The ultimate meltdown was Britney Spears. But she (Spears) can't hold a conversation. No. They have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-bailon/britney-spears-can-t-hold-a-conversation-mind-controlled-the-ultimate/) [Adrienne Bailon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-bailon/) > [Having spent years ruining the housing markets with their interference, leading to a housing meltdown that has taken the whole economy down with it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/having-spent-years-ruining-the-housing-markets-with-their/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## More by John Podhoretz > [The great mystery is why robots come off so well in science-fiction films when the human characters are often so astoundingly wooden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/the-great-mystery-is-why-robots-come-off-so-well-in-science-fiction/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [The exit polls suggest that after a relatively disappointing first term, Obama managed to reassemble almost all of his 2008 electorate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/the-exit-polls-suggest-that-after-a-relatively-disappointing-first/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [For Obama to save himself, he should be thinking about the example of an unlikely Republican predecessor: Richard Nixon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/for-obama-to-save-himself-he-should-be-thinking-about-the-example-of/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [Your race and gender don't change, but you can choose to change your political affiliation at will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/your-race-and-gender-don-t-change-but-you-can-choose-to-change-your/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [Imagine his delight after it 'leaked' that he will propose raising taxes on the wealthy by $320 billion over the next 10 years, including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/imagine-his-delight-after-it-leaked-that-he-will-propose-raising/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [Robots have a rich and storied history in movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/robots-have-a-rich-and-storied-history-in-movies/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [Aside from being bad sportsmanship - Romney basically said Obama won by cheating - he was displaying the same obtuseness about the wants and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/aside-from-being-bad-sportsmanship-romney-basically-said-obama-won-by/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [There is a new conservative establishment in America, made up of those who claim to be the anti-establishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/there-is-a-new-conservative-establishment-in-america-made-up-of-those/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [As the Republican nominee, it was Romney's job to find a way to speak to some of those groups of voters and offer practical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/as-the-republican-nominee-it-was-romney-s-job-to-find-a-way-to-speak/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [Memories of the last nine years have turned Ground Zero from a site of horror, to a reminder of grief, to an occasion for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/memories-of-the-last-nine-years-have-turned-ground-zero-from-a-site/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [Some candidates need to say provocative things that make noise to break through the media muffle and get themselves noticed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/some-candidates-need-to-say-provocative-things-that-make-noise-to/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [Let us now praise Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/let-us-now-praise-barack-obama/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [All non-incumbent campaigns promise hope and change, but Obama took the promise to a new level of absurdity. He suggested that a vote for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/all-non-incumbent-campaigns-promise-hope-and-change-but-obama-took/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [By the time Obama came into office, Washington had already agreed over a period of a few weeks to a $700 billion government infusion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/by-the-time-obama-came-into-office-washington-had-already-agreed-over/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) > [The defense of ObamaCare's constitutionality relies mainly on the truism that everyone is sure to get sick at some point in their lives, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-podhoretz/the-defense-of-obamacare-s-constitutionality-relies-mainly-on-the/) [John Podhoretz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) [Explore all 104 John Podhoretz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-podhoretz/) ## More Afghanistan quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [They're criminals, they brutalized Afghanistan, they killed our people, they destroyed our land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/they-re-criminals-they-brutalized-afghanistan-they-killed-our-people/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) > [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-2001-we-were-told-that-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-a-feminist/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [The terrorist attacks of September 11th and the courageous actions of our armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq remind us that friends of tyranny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/the-terrorist-attacks-of-september-11th-and-the-courageous-actions-of/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) > [According to a recent Harvard study, $6 trillion, when you include the ongoing healthcare expenses for our wounded soldiers, which is the least they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/according-to-a-recent-harvard-study-6-trillion-when-you-include-the/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. And anybody who believes that this is about something we've done has to ask themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/you-don-t-bargain-with-terrorists-you-don-t-appease-terrorists-and/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [“I stood with my mom in the cemetery. She felt terrible pain. My grandmother is with God. My mom has to continue living. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-elliot/i-stood-with-my-mom-in-the-cemetery-she-felt-terrible-pain-my/) [Tucker Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-elliot/) > [The most successful cultural diplomacy strategy integrates people-to-people or arts/culture/media-to-people interactions into the basic business of diplomacy. The programs in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-p-schneider/the-most-successful-cultural-diplomacy-strategy-integrates-people-to/) [Cynthia P. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/) > [Because Iran understands Afghanistan far better than Americans do, making Iran a partner in a long-term effort to transform Afghan agriculture makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/because-iran-understands-afghanistan-far-better-than-americans-do/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Thousands of Americans have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq upholding their oaths and defending this nation. Chelsea Manning broke her oath and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/thousands-of-americans-have-given-their-lives-in-afghanistan-and-iraq/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I have been to Afghanistan many times, even before the Taliban collapsed. I was fascinated by the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/i-have-been-to-afghanistan-many-times-even-before-the-taliban/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [There has been sort of, if you will, a moral interventionism on the part of the United States trying to reshape countries in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/there-has-been-sort-of-if-you-will-a-moral-interventionism-on-the/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The legal system in Afghanistan is very immature and porous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-graham/the-legal-system-in-afghanistan-is-very-immature-and-porous/) [Lindsey Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-graham/) [Browse all 1,159 Afghanistan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Hurtling the Pentagon into an unprecedented budgetary meltdown is horrifically irresponsible. 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