My God - we spend more than the next 17 countries combined on defense, and that isn't a big enough stick? And this time we don't have Mother Russia to soften up half of the opposition.
This is quite interesting as well as disturbing - Obama is dangerous to all of us!
- Thread starter pinkhamr
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My God - we spend more than the next 17 countries combined on defense, and that isn't a big enough stick? And this time we don't have Mother Russia to soften up half of the opposition.
I am astounded that a people who just had their nation lead the entire free world through the cold-war, which without US leadership/strength would have left us alone with no trading partners and an entire Europe under Soviet domination for decades (at least), can really believe that the US should withdraw into a shell or stick its collective head into the sand and pretend world events will just happen and leave us alone along the way.
Maybe I am mis-understanding are you really saying that you believe that the US has become reckless and misused the right to intervene, even abroad, as necessary or are you saying that even if reasonable and practical the US has no moral right to intervene anywhere?
Also please remember that in (nearly) every place we have intervened there have been some elements that really did want our help if that matters in your equation.
BTW - our military budget didn't and isn't bankrupting us. We are spending a very small proportion of the GDP on military spending and the military itself is among the smallest we have maintained in decades. Spending has gone up since 2001 (which started as a small defense budget) but our wealth as a nation has grown faster than our military spending. In fact, military spending post-cold war is one of the few areas of Federal spending that has suffered real cuts (not just growth trimming). The real problem is that we now spend much more on other, very inflexible programs - basically social benefit programs that become expected regular "rights" by people and are notoriously difficult to cut...unlike military spending.
We also have acquired the habit of avoiding taxes while demanding additional spending and then allowing deficits to build which themselves become drains on the budget.
We also have acquired the habit of avoiding taxes while demanding additional spending and then allowing deficits to build which themselves become drains on the budget.
Definitely this. It's also difficult to claim the moral high ground when you ignore some of the worst evil around the globe, while specifically targeting other, lesser evils. The same for using tactics that we would condemn unilaterally if used against our troops.
And just because someone wanted us there, isn't really valid either. Truly oppressed and victimized peoples beg us for help all the time, and they are ignored.
Just because I shoulder up a .50 BMG doesn't mean I've ever pulled the trigger.
I'm all for stamping out extremists who threaten US citizens. But we can't spend an ever increasing several hundred billion dollars a year doing it. I want it done much cheaper. Our latest and greatest fleet of warplanes comes in at an estimated $51,000/hour to fly and will cost well over $1 trillion to buy. Because clearly we don't already kick enough ass. I mean, could we not get by with our current fleet while we get out of debt and keep our R&D going for the next, next best things?
The collateral damage done by drone bombings kind of makes me sick just a little bit. It's very effective and probably illegal and immoral to do. Thinking about the hundreds of demolished remains of bombed out women's and children's bodies makes me sad. All that said, I would probably advocate the most for it because I think about the thousands of terrorist's, their families, and sympathizers our drone's destroy. And it makes sense dollars and cents wise.
The collateral damage done by drone bombings kind of makes me sick just a little bit. It's very effective and probably illegal and immoral to do. Thinking about the hundreds of demolished remains of bombed out women's and children's bodies makes me sad. All that said, I would probably advocate the most for it because I think about the thousands of terrorist's, their families, and sympathizers our drone's destroy. And it makes sense dollars and cents wise.
Well they damn sure ain't doin' it on their own.....so I mean how else do ya' figure they are gonna' quit screwin' around and accept Jesus Christ as their lord and saviour?
For the sake of argument let's say it has been all above board and well intended....how much do ya' figure the concept of "picking yer battles" comes into play in those scenarios?Definitely this. It's also difficult to claim the moral high ground when you ignore some of the worst evil around the globe, while specifically targeting other, lesser evils. The same for using tactics that we would condemn unilaterally if used against our troops.
And just because someone wanted us there, isn't really valid either. Truly oppressed and victimized peoples beg us for help all the time, and they are ignored.
I mean, do ya' figure maybe some situations aren't outright ignored/disregarded with ill intent but rather there hasn't been a practical way to resolve them without the possibility of creating a huge problem much too dangerous to risk?
AND
Isn't that...uh, I don't wanna' say "largely the reason" because I don't know to what degree I'd be bullshitting myself, but isn't that some of the reason countries have been known to fund "revolutionaries" in other places?
Then we get to help them rebuild once we knock their shithole down. Might as well squander a few more billion borrowed dollars. We'll find out later from the GAO that most of it went unaccounted for anyway. No one will get fired. No rich men will hang. No one is afraid anymore.
Thought they cancelled the F-22 raptor?
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