The real Problem in America (1 Viewer)

[timschochet]

We should have ended NATO after the wall fell and Germany was reunited.  Just because we end military alliances doesn't mean we go to war with those Nations.  America as a Switzerland sounds ####### great to me.  

I don't necessarily want to defend every country in eastern Europe, and I wasn't for adding many of them to NATO, but I believe in NATO. And I believe in defending South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. We are not Switzerland, and I'm proud of that. 

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Sure. Bernie Sanders' cost of free education, for example, will be 75 billion a year. He proposes to pay for it by taxation on the very wealthy, not by cutting the military. The military budget is 601 billion a year. 

Well that wasn't what I was asking.  I wasn't implying that Bernie was going to cut the military to pay for free college.  My point was how much does the GOP's platform of "rebuild our military and put boots on the ground overseas" compare in cost to the 75 billion for free college?  

From what I can find in my quick googling, Trump/Cruz's plans to "rebuild the military" would cost a minimum of $129 billion/yr (and likely much higher) while Rubio's plan was to spend at least another $1 trillion/year.  So we're talking anywhere from 2x to 13x more money on that as what Bernie is proposing for college, yet the folks criticizing Bernie's crazy $75 billion spending barely seem to bat an eye.

$1 trillion to make our already over the top military even more over the top?  Sure.

$75 billion to make the lives of Americans better?  OMG WHY DOES THIS OLD LOON WANT TO SPEND SO MUCH MONEY??!?!

 

[John Bender]

Really makes you think.

 

[timschochet]

Well that wasn't what I was asking.  I wasn't implying that Bernie was going to cut the military to pay for free college.  My point was how much does the GOP's platform of "rebuild our military and put boots on the ground overseas" compare in cost to the 75 billion for free college?  

From what I can find in my quick googling, Trump/Cruz's plans to "rebuild the military" would cost a minimum of $129 billion/yr (and likely much higher) while Rubio's plan was to spend at least another $1 trillion/year.  So we're talking anywhere from 2x to 13x more money on that as what Bernie is proposing for college, yet the folks criticizing Bernie's crazy $75 billion spending barely seem to bat an eye.

$1 trillion to make our already over the top military even more over the top?  Sure.

$75 billion to make the lives of Americans better?  OMG WHY DOES THIS OLD LOON WANT TO SPEND SO MUCH MONEY??!?!

This is a great and inarguable point. However, we still can't afford to spend 75 billion on free college, and we can't afford to spend 129 billion on more military. And we can't afford to spend more money on our infrastructure, which we have to do, and we can't afford to spend money on new energy sources, which is vital. We can't afford to spend money on anything, and we need to spend money on everything. 

 

[skol asylum]

The biggest problem in America is the same one that is shared by every nation on Earth.

People are dumb.

 

[Bucky86]

I want laser rifles

 

[skol asylum]

I want laser rifles

How about light sabers?

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2016/03/this-handheld-laser-is-the-lightsaber-youve-been-looking-for/

 

[Ladsud]

With all of the hand wringing and arguing over social policies, whether or not we should be moving towards single-payer health care, etc., I find it disturbing that we rarely talk in any meaningful way about the biggest item in the National budget: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-long-would-the-us-military-last-in-a-war-against-the-rest-of-the-world-2016-3

Basically, this article points out the fact that our Navy and Air power aren't just the biggest and baddest in the world, but are so even if compared to the next 7 or 8 countries COMBINED. That even if not the largest, the technological investments and advantages of our army, particularly if it were fighting to defend our own borders, is so large that with the air power superiority already noted, it could easily defend us.

Our military budget is obscene. Yet...I'd be willing to bet that even suggesting that it's obscene (and I'm doing more than suggest here) will bring attacks of being weak or un-American. Is this a discussion we can even have here?

The burden of Empire. 

 

[IC FBGCav]

Greed and lack of empathy.  Nothing more or less.

 

[Johnnymac]

This is a great and inarguable point. However, we still can't afford to spend 75 billion on free college, and we can't afford to spend 129 billion on more military. And we can't afford to spend more money on our infrastructure, which we have to do, and we can't afford to spend money on new energy sources, which is vital. We can't afford to spend money on anything, and we need to spend money on everything. 

Who do we blame for that?

 

[NutterButter]

Well that wasn't what I was asking.  I wasn't implying that Bernie was going to cut the military to pay for free college.  My point was how much does the GOP's platform of "rebuild our military and put boots on the ground overseas" compare in cost to the 75 billion for free college?  

From what I can find in my quick googling, Trump/Cruz's plans to "rebuild the military" would cost a minimum of $129 billion/yr (and likely much higher) while Rubio's plan was to spend at least another $1trillion/year.  So we're talking anywhere from 2x to 13x more money on that as what Bernie is proposing for college, yet the folks criticizing Bernie's crazy $75 billion spending barely seem to bat an eye.

$1 trillion to make our already over the top military even more over the top?  Sure.

$75 billion to make the lives of Americans better?  OMG WHY DOES THIS OLD LOON WANT TO SPEND SO MUCH MONEY??!?!

  Rubio wants to spend another trillion per year on the military.  How is this guy not still in the hunt.

 

[James Daulton]

I bet if we cut out hammers and toilets we'd save a few billions.

 

[msommer]

Here it is: 

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-us-military-spends-its-billions-2015-8

Where are we going to cut? 

How much to cut?

Delay purchases (replace only, don't add), ensure no frivolous spending (600 dollar hammers etc)

After that flat percentage across the board with personnel savings to be among the higher paid staffers mainly (early retirement etc).

 

[cstu]

Here it is: 

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-us-military-spends-its-billions-2015-8

Where are we going to cut? 

How about with the programs the military itself wants to cut but are forced to continue by Congress?

 

[NutterButter]

How about with the programs the military itself wants to cut but are forced to continue by Congress?

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