Written by Thomas Magstadt   

The automatic across-the-board budget cuts are indefensible as a way to allocate funds for the vital functions of government, but the word "function" has only one application in today's Washington.

Dysfunction.

Experts and inebriates generally agree the Pentagon is a bottomless pit. Dump limitless amounts into it and watch it disappear. It's the Washington equivalent of David Copperfield's disappearing Status of Liberty act.

We spend about as much for war and weapons as the rest of the world combined. The US defense budget is beyond ridiculous - almost. Here's Andy Borowitz demonstrating that it's not beyond ridicule:

"The spending cuts mandated by the sequester may hamper [our] ability to invade countries for absolutely no reason, a Pentagon spokesman warned today."*

"...the nation’s ability to wage totally optional wars based on bogus pretexts may be in peril.

“Historically, the United States has stood ready and able to throw billions of dollars at a military campaign with no clear rationale or well-defined objective,” said [a Pentagon] spokesman....”

"Lindsey Graham (R—S.C.) agreed about the catastrophic effects of the Pentagon cuts, telling reporters, 'The ability of the United States to project its military power in an arbitrary and totally capricious way must never be compromised.'”

"The cuts are already being felt in a tangible way at the Pentagon, which today cancelled an order for a nine-thousand-dollar pen."

Hey, don't laugh. Okay, do laugh, but keep in mind the F-35 that was supposed to cost $150 billion is running around $400 billion and the plane isn't fit to fly. Proving that ridiculous is not necessarily funny.

*Read more: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2013/03/pentagon-cuts-could-hamper-ability-to-invade-countries-for-no-reason.html#ixzz2MVAQ9FgB