Bob Hale says the tortoise is winning:
The tortoise represents a persistent Obama Administration that has pushed for changes that can become law, freeing up billions a year to improve military capabilities. The tortoise also represents a Congress that, while sometimes reluctant, has approved many of the Obama Administration changes and, in a few cases, has gone beyond them.
Yesterday, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) hosted a forum to discuss the letter issued by a consortium of think tanks encouraging defense reform. Many speakers mentioned the need for data. It is time for Defense to have a Chief Data Officer and Chief Economist. In addition, DoD needs to remove many of the IT bottlenecks that prevent information gathering and sharing.
I enjoy listening to EconTalk. This week, the host, Russ Roberts, spoke with Leonard Wong about honesty in the military.
Leonard Wong of the Strategic Studies Institute at the U.S. Army War College talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about honesty in the military. Based on a recent co-authored paper, Wong argues that the paperwork and training burden on U.S. military officers requires dishonesty--it is simply impossible to comply with all the requirements. This creates a tension for an institution that prides itself on honesty, trust, and integrity. The conversation closes with suggestions for how the military might reform the compliance and requirement process.
This discussion stemmed from Wong's recent paper:
"Lying to Ourselves: Dishonesty in the Army Profession," by Leonard Wong and Stephen J. Gerras. Strategic Studies Institute, February 2015. PDF file.
From an article in this week's Air Force Times:
Estimates suggest that a 1 percent change in prices will result in a greater than 1 percent change in the amount of products sold by stores, the researchers said.
"If these findings hold true for a change in the price of goods sold at commissaries, then an increase in prices will decrease revenues," the report stated.
Sounds like elasticity to me.
Calculating the percentage of Americans who have served in the military is not a straightforward exercise.