Can We Afford Armed Forces?

[publicprotector]

With Western Nations continually cutting their military budgets and the ever growing costs of military hardware are we fast reaching the point where it will be too costly to pay for such weapons platforms and the like.

Technology has advanced at such a rate that the sums being invested just in R & D alone are absolutely staggering. Not only that the loss of such prestigeous units such as carriers in a major conflict means that their complexity of build means that you cannot simple not them out in a couple of months or cheaply.

If in any furture conflict large and expensive weapons systems are lost there simply may not be the money there to replace them. Will we reach that point where Nations cannot afford such cost or have we already reached that point. In any Nations budget are area's such as social care, housing etc. already loosing out to massive military spending that cannot be sustained.

If we do reach that point or we have what would the face of future armed forces look like. Would such costs mean that nations only have strong defensive forces and rely on long range missiles for offence. Or will the whole thing just implode under its own inertia.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Oh, well I guess if everyone else is doing it...

Pubic, let me ask you a question: Do you like Anti-Lock brakes?
If you answered "yes" then you may be surprised to learn that Lockheed Aircraft invented them and first used them on our P-38 Fighter in WW II.
And for those of you that think only the Military thinks up new ways to kill people you should know that Harvard University invented Napalm.
Military research has and will continue to create useful technology.

 

[publicprotector]

Is that all you really have to offer on such an important matter?

 

[keee keee]

Cut all military spending, sell everything, send all the men and women home and use all the savings from having no military for Universal Healthcare!!! Since Obama was elected all the world loves us, and are our friends!!!!

 

[publicprotector]

With regard to Napalm I think Callinicus beat the US to it by about 1400 years. We are not discussing what filters down from RD into everyday use but what Nations can and cannot afford and can they continue on this course.

Vast sums of money do not need to be spent on weapon development just to discover new ways to cook food.

 

[JenT]

Cut all military spending, sell everything, send all the men and women home and use all the savings from having no military for Universal Healthcare!!! Since Obama was elected all the world loves us, and are our friends!!!!

Yeah, and then we won't have to worry about it

(yes, keee keee, just illustrating your point)

 

[Mad Scientist]

With regard to Napalm I think Callinicus beat the US to it by about 1400 years. We are not discussing what filters down from RD into everyday use but what Nations can and cannot afford and can they continue on this course.
Vast sums of money do not need to be spent on weapon development just to discover new ways to cook food.

Yes were are discussing what filters down because as I said, Military research leads to great things. None of which you want to acknowledge.

 

[noose4]

of course we need them so we must make sure we are able to afford them but we could save a lot of money by pulling our troops out of bases on foreign soil, no need for u.s. troops in england, germany, japan, italy, etc, etc, let these countries man those bases with their own people and protect themselves, it would save us billions.

 

[Toro]

Of course we can. Defense spending is about 4% of GDP, far lower than what we spent in the past.

 

[namvet]

Cut all military spending, sell everything, send all the men and women home and use all the savings from having no military for Universal Healthcare!!! Since Obama was elected all the world loves us, and are our friends!!!!

 

[Ralph]

With Western Nations continually cutting their military budgets and the ever growing costs of military hardware are we fast reaching the point where it will be too costly to pay for such weapons platforms and the like.

Technology has advanced at such a rate that the sums being invested just in R & D alone are absolutely staggering. Not only that the loss of such prestigeous units such as carriers in a major conflict means that their complexity of build means that you cannot simple not them out in a couple of months or cheaply.

If in any furture conflict large and expensive weapons systems are lost there simply may not be the money there to replace them. Will we reach that point where Nations cannot afford such cost or have we already reached that point. In any Nations budget are area's such as social care, housing etc. already loosing out to massive military spending that cannot be sustained.

If we do reach that point or we have what would the face of future armed forces look like. Would such costs mean that nations only have strong defensive forces and rely on long range missiles for offence. Or will the whole thing just implode under its own inertia.

Sure we can do away with the military......If it were not for that pesky, antiquated documented called the United States Constitution which defines the first and foremost duty of the Central Government to PROTECT....WE THE PEOPLE. I hear ya brother...........comrade.

 

[namvet]

With Western Nations continually cutting their military budgets and the ever growing costs of military hardware are we fast reaching the point where it will be too costly to pay for such weapons platforms and the like.

Technology has advanced at such a rate that the sums being invested just in R & D alone are absolutely staggering. Not only that the loss of such prestigeous units such as carriers in a major conflict means that their complexity of build means that you cannot simple not them out in a couple of months or cheaply.

If in any furture conflict large and expensive weapons systems are lost there simply may not be the money there to replace them. Will we reach that point where Nations cannot afford such cost or have we already reached that point. In any Nations budget are area's such as social care, housing etc. already loosing out to massive military spending that cannot be sustained.

If we do reach that point or we have what would the face of future armed forces look like. Would such costs mean that nations only have strong defensive forces and rely on long range missiles for offence. Or will the whole thing just implode under its own inertia.

Sure we can do away with the military......If it were not for that pesky, antiquated documented called the United States Constitution which defines the first and foremost duty of the Central Government to PROTECT....WE THE PEOPLE. I hear ya brother...........comrade.

in that case i hope you and your entire seed are on the top floor next time

 

[Big Black Dog]

We can't afford to NOT have a good Armed Force.

 

[keee keee]

It is time to retool!!! New president (PRO-MILITARY)and new military tools and hardware. Thats how we did it with the cold war and WON!!!! I would like to THANK ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN IN OUR MILITARY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!!!!

 

[Skull Pilot]

the only spending cuts we need to make in our military budget is to close all of our overseas bases. Let so Korea defend themselves, let Germany do without our bases and the benefits they bring to that country, let them fend for themselves during the next natural disaster.

Bring our soldiers home and let them actually defend this country. We will then be able to continue our research into superior defenses and weapons and truly make this country unassailable.

did you ever think that European countries are cutting their military because we are taking up the slack?

Time to stop. cut the apron strings and let them grow up and take care of themselves.

 

[keee keee]

what about Japan? That would solve the problem with our little missile shooting dictator in korea

 

[Care4all]

With Western Nations continually cutting their military budgets and the ever growing costs of military hardware are we fast reaching the point where it will be too costly to pay for such weapons platforms and the like.

Technology has advanced at such a rate that the sums being invested just in R & D alone are absolutely staggering. Not only that the loss of such prestigeous units such as carriers in a major conflict means that their complexity of build means that you cannot simple not them out in a couple of months or cheaply.

If in any furture conflict large and expensive weapons systems are lost there simply may not be the money there to replace them. Will we reach that point where Nations cannot afford such cost or have we already reached that point. In any Nations budget are area's such as social care, housing etc. already loosing out to massive military spending that cannot be sustained.

If we do reach that point or we have what would the face of future armed forces look like. Would such costs mean that nations only have strong defensive forces and rely on long range missiles for offence. Or will the whole thing just implode under its own inertia.

Sure we can do away with the military......If it were not for that pesky, antiquated documented called the United States Constitution which defines the first and foremost duty of the Central Government to PROTECT....WE THE PEOPLE. I hear ya brother...........comrade.

except that same constitution says that congress NOT pay for a standing army longer than 2 years at a time, including during wartime...and we are CLEARLY BREAKING the constitution and why they had this provision in place....so we wouldn't be put in the position of today, funding the military (outside of the navy), for decades at a time...robbing from us to pay paul...feeding the Military Industrial complex with more and more and more, federal taxes. The States were to have their own armies, (like the National guard), and the Congress could call them up, 2 years at a time....IF WE NEEDED them for our country's defense.

The Navy could be funded full time according to our constitution...that's it.

care

 

[GRX Dragon]

We best be able to afford the armed forces, it's one of the smallest budgets to our GDP. We could truncate for efficiency (replace all inferior tech with better tech... such as all F-15s and F-16s with F-22s, and all F-18s with JSF F-35s, etc.), sure, but that doesn't mean we should spend any less either.

In fact, if politicians are stupid enough to continue slicing our defense programs... why the hell are we supposed to trust them with our healthcare again? Makes no sense.

 

[RodISHI]

If the congressional members start cutting the budgets they have grown to spend on themselves and cut their own paychecks I'd support cutting military budgets.

 

[Care4all]

We best be able to afford the armed forces, it's one of the smallest budgets to our GDP. We could truncate for efficiency (replace all inferior tech with better tech... such as all F-15s and F-16s with F-22s, and all F-18s with JSF F-35s, etc.), sure, but that doesn't mean we should spend any less either.

In fact, if politicians are stupid enough to continue slicing our defense programs... why the hell are we supposed to trust them with our healthcare again? Makes no sense.

our defense, is our largest expense paid out of what income and corporate taxes are suppose to pay i thought, then comes the interest payment on our debt...again, i believe? then medicare or Health & human Services...i think???

i will try to find a link in a few minutes...