How much of this is truly for Defense . . and how much is using the Military as a big ole Money Laundering factory . . . a way to get American People's Dollars into the hands of the Power elite [500$ hammers!!! IN DEED!!] Rocket River
If you have any friends in decision-making positions in the military, you will hear some crazy stories about having too much $$$ to spend and having too much useless crap. But they don't want to spend less because they don't want the budget cut.
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pZCyOWLrRTE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Ozzy said it best.
The dollar is the world's fiat currency because of our military power. We can keep on borrowing and printing money because no one can foreclose on us. Catch 22?
Us? More like a handful on the tip of the pyramid. The power of making you feel good in vain, although morally bankrupted. Is that worth it?
we have not been 'isolationists' for almost 100 years now and the world is a vastly different place. since WWII we have been involved all over the world playing team america: world police and millions have died for it. most likely, yes. and america at that time was small potatoes. we only became a 'superpower' after WWII. for a little perspective, my grandma grew up in india - she had no idea where america was when she was a kid. she talks about getting a toy once that said "made in the u.s.a." on it and she had to go find it on a map. we were not a global force at the time. so then why did hitler declare war on us after pearl harbor? <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SdBn5G7Y2RA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
thas pretty good! But I prefer Zappa <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LJy-pSnLG20" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
You also considering though is how much negativity has been generated towards the US because of us enforcing Pax Americana. If you listen to Bin Ladin and Zawahari's rhetoric their hate has far more to do over with the exercise of US power to prop dictatorships like the house of Saud and engage in wars in the Middle East than it does anything to do with our culture. Also since you've asked the question about who might jump in consider that we have created dependencies around the World where others can't jump in. Consider Bosnia. That was a humanitarian tragedy but one that didn't primarily concern us. The problem was that the Europeans are so dependent on the US they couldn't act without the US. In terms of whether we would trust others to fill in for us in regard to handling world problems consider that the world is a very different place than it was in 1936. Global trade networks mean that we are more interconnected and interdependent ever. Further with nukes also meas that no major powers will risk an all out war against another. While we might jostle for things like influence its highly doubtful that the PRC or some other emerging power would go to war with us for the reasons stated above.
the people who are getting paid are the constiuents who vote their congressman into office because they're promised that a defense contract factory won't get closed
The budget needs to be slashed EVERYWHERE including national defense. Our country will go bankrupt with annual trillion plus dollar deficits!!!
The recession was has been responsible for a huge part of these deficits. An improved economy will take care of a big chunk of that trillion dollar deficit.
As long as we'll throw around random numbers, I submit millions have also been saved by it. Since my statement was a "what if" we'll just roll with our different opinons. Because he was in an alliance with Japan and we declared war on Japan after that attack. Oversimplification, but still funny.
No, because Hitler was a madman and an egomaniac. The German High Command knew nothing of his decision to declare war on the United States until he did it. Except for the toadies, they would have opposed it had their dared. Answer me this... did Japan declare war on Germany's arch enemy, the Soviet Union? I'll answer for you. No, they did not. What happened to the alliance? I'll add that I also disagree on this one with jo mama. The United States was a world power at the beginning of WWII. We had colonies and possessions overseas and one of the most powerful navies in the world. Yamamoto, the brilliant Japanese naval commander, who spent much time in the US prior to the war, was fearful of a conflict with this country, and rightly so, as events proved. Were we prepared? No, but mainly because of a nationwide feeling of isolationism reflected in Congress, who fought tooth and nail against FDR's efforts to prepare for the coming conflict.
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