Rosse Proposes Major Military Budget Increase 6/25/3132
INN - Interstellar News Network
GENEVA, TERRA—In a surprise speech today in the Senate Military Operations
Committee (SMOC), Senator Kev Rosse called for a massive increase in military
spending, both to expand the armed forces and to upgrade their equipment. Choosing
to wear his uniform of Galaxy Commander rather than the suits that are his usual
Senate attire, Rosse’s lean figure dominated the committee room even before he began
his address.
"After centuries of war, the dividend of peace is richly deserved by the people of the
Inner Sphere, but we should not forget that said peace was purchased with the
sacrifice of our warriors. I do not say we must wage war, but we should be ready to
fight when we have to. In 3067, with the end of the civil war in the Federated
Commonwealth, people expected a new era of peace. We all know what followed,
and it is sheer folly to think that another such apocalypse could never happen again.
We have become complacent, enamored of peace and blind to the risks. Weakness is
an invitation to conflict, not a means of avoiding it. Our forces have not faced a
military threat in years, their skills atrophied by lack of use. Furthermore, much of our
equipment is older than the Republic, handed down from parent to child for
generations. We need to rectify this, to train new warriors and to give those in service
the best tools for their mission. The only way to do this is to boost military spending
and I urge the Senate to consider such a measure—a real-world increase in the armed
forces budget—at their earliest convenience.”
A regular attendee at SMOC meetings, Senator Rosse's pro-military views are well
known though not always well received. "What do you expect from a Senator raised
in the Clan way? Their idea of subtle negotiations is using a knife instead of a pistol,"
said Senator Aeisha Mubatu, formerly the Governor of Helen. "Kev Rosse would see
shadows on even the brightest day. He has allowed his so-called vision quests to
cloud his perception of the real world,” said Senator Geot. Others were equally
critical, though the most stinging attack came from Alice Syrmar of Prefecture I.
"The Senator's Clan-bred desire for martial glory has come to the fore at last, and he
would propel us into a war against an enemy that only exists in his imagination. Devlin
Stone would be dismayed to see how little difference his efforts to create harmony
amongst the peoples of the Republic have made to the Clansmen in our midst. Are
Senator Rosse and his kin truly members of the Republic or are they merely puppets
of Khan Jacali Nostra and the warriors of the Draconis Combine?”
A few members of the government, such as Legate Christine Sandoval of Mara, gave
the proposal a guarded welcome. "I understand the Senator's concerns and agree that
an upgrade program is long overdue. Almost half of the Scimitars under my command
are the venerable MK I variant and most of my infantry regiments lack adequate
transport. However, I don't believe there is a need to expand the armed forces—we
have more than enough men under arms and as has been demonstrated so often, it's
quality not quantity that counts on the modern battlefield. That is one aspect of Clan
heritage that the Senator appears to have forgotten.”
When confronted with his critics’ comments, Rosse seemed unperturbed. His reply
was simple and enigmatic. “I have glimpsed what is to come and we must work to
safeguard the future, not allow our own carelessness to rob us of it.
INN - Interstellar News Network
GENEVA, TERRA—In a surprise speech today in the Senate Military Operations
Committee (SMOC), Senator Kev Rosse called for a massive increase in military
spending, both to expand the armed forces and to upgrade their equipment. Choosing
to wear his uniform of Galaxy Commander rather than the suits that are his usual
Senate attire, Rosse’s lean figure dominated the committee room even before he began
his address.
"After centuries of war, the dividend of peace is richly deserved by the people of the
Inner Sphere, but we should not forget that said peace was purchased with the
sacrifice of our warriors. I do not say we must wage war, but we should be ready to
fight when we have to. In 3067, with the end of the civil war in the Federated
Commonwealth, people expected a new era of peace. We all know what followed,
and it is sheer folly to think that another such apocalypse could never happen again.
We have become complacent, enamored of peace and blind to the risks. Weakness is
an invitation to conflict, not a means of avoiding it. Our forces have not faced a
military threat in years, their skills atrophied by lack of use. Furthermore, much of our
equipment is older than the Republic, handed down from parent to child for
generations. We need to rectify this, to train new warriors and to give those in service
the best tools for their mission. The only way to do this is to boost military spending
and I urge the Senate to consider such a measure—a real-world increase in the armed
forces budget—at their earliest convenience.”
A regular attendee at SMOC meetings, Senator Rosse's pro-military views are well
known though not always well received. "What do you expect from a Senator raised
in the Clan way? Their idea of subtle negotiations is using a knife instead of a pistol,"
said Senator Aeisha Mubatu, formerly the Governor of Helen. "Kev Rosse would see
shadows on even the brightest day. He has allowed his so-called vision quests to
cloud his perception of the real world,” said Senator Geot. Others were equally
critical, though the most stinging attack came from Alice Syrmar of Prefecture I.
"The Senator's Clan-bred desire for martial glory has come to the fore at last, and he
would propel us into a war against an enemy that only exists in his imagination. Devlin
Stone would be dismayed to see how little difference his efforts to create harmony
amongst the peoples of the Republic have made to the Clansmen in our midst. Are
Senator Rosse and his kin truly members of the Republic or are they merely puppets
of Khan Jacali Nostra and the warriors of the Draconis Combine?”
A few members of the government, such as Legate Christine Sandoval of Mara, gave
the proposal a guarded welcome. "I understand the Senator's concerns and agree that
an upgrade program is long overdue. Almost half of the Scimitars under my command
are the venerable MK I variant and most of my infantry regiments lack adequate
transport. However, I don't believe there is a need to expand the armed forces—we
have more than enough men under arms and as has been demonstrated so often, it's
quality not quantity that counts on the modern battlefield. That is one aspect of Clan
heritage that the Senator appears to have forgotten.”
When confronted with his critics’ comments, Rosse seemed unperturbed. His reply
was simple and enigmatic. “I have glimpsed what is to come and we must work to
safeguard the future, not allow our own carelessness to rob us of it.
| June 25, 3132 |