Why do we spend so much (that we don't have) on BOMBS and GUNS?

[RetiredGySgt]

The American Economy Depends on the Defense Industry.

Precisely... Now run with it...

Eisenhower warned us of the Military Industrial Complex. Coming from a man who ran the war in Europe, it's profound.

Taking what he said out of context as usual. Thanks for proving you are an idiot.

 

[Avatar4321]

Precisely... Now run with it...

There's not very far to run........

As a result the American Economy is the Strongest, Most Secure, on the planet, and if you want a stable investment you put it on American Soil?

A few years ago we were the greatest creditor nation. Today we're the biggest debtor nation.

And I'm sure it was all the military's doing, right? It has absolutely nothing to do with those extremely wasteful and unconstitutional spending programs that we can't get rid of because of false accusations of racism and false accusations of hate toward the poor.

Crazy idea. Let's actually cut spending. Let's cut it across the board. Anything not expressly authorized by the Constitution, we cut completely. Anything that is expressly authorized, we cut in half.

I really don't think spending trillions less, which we don't have, is going to seriously hurt this nation.

 

[rightwinger]

Our military has not defended the United States proper against an invasion in almost 200 years. Due to our geography between two huge oceans and non-hostile borders, we need a very small force to protect ourselves from invasion.

However, after WWII, the US emerged as a superpower and we now have global responsibilities. Keeping the rest of the world relatively stable supports our trade and protects the economy.

Do we need a military force 5-10 times stronger than any adversary? Probably not, but we could pay a price in increased US casualties

 

[Samson]

Precisely... Now run with it...

There's not very far to run........

As a result the American Economy is the Strongest, Most Secure, on the planet, and if you want a stable investment you put it on American Soil?

A few years ago we were the greatest creditor nation. Today we're the biggest debtor nation.

Which even makes it more astonishing that we have one of the most secure economies on the planet.

 

[Cuyo]

Precisely... Now run with it...

Eisenhower warned us of the Military Industrial Complex. Coming from a man who ran the war in Europe, it's profound.

Taking what he said out of context as usual. Thanks for proving you are an idiot.

On the contrary, he's right on context. Eisenhower was terrified at the cost of an empirical standing military, he used to say it takes food from the hungry and houses from the homeless. He was quite eloquent in his parting address, actually.

 

[Cuyo]

more like between 14% and 15%, I think, though I've seen estimates that are higher.

DOD alone is 18.7% this year, Jilly. Factor in other military protocol, it's nearly 1/3.

It's also greater than half of discretionary spending.

[edit] The interest on previous expenditures is part of the 1/3 figure

LOL interest? Really? So can we factor in the interest on all the social programs too?

The wars do not count, the defense budget is not 18 percent. Hasn't been that in MANY years. But you delusional keep on making bogus claims. Once again for the STUPID and the slow. Defense is a REQUIRED expenditure and responsibility as directed by the Constitution. Social spending is neither required nor even authorized, that is all States concerns, the federal Government has no authority in the matter at all.

The defense budget is in the realm of $1 trillion per year. You can continue to delude yourself all you want, my claims are far from bogus. In fact, they're quite easily verified.

And again, Social Security is paid by a fund established for that purpose, which is supplied by payroll taxes (FICA), NOT income taxes. It is not losing money yet. It's getting close and will not survive upon it's current trajectory, but so far it will not lose money this year nor has it ever.

 

[theHawk]

Why do we spend so much on military? Theories?

We're #1, and we spend as much as numbers 2-15... Combined. Why? Is there anyone out there who actually believes we need to spend this much for traditional defense/safety reasons?

I've got my own theories but if it pleases the court I'd like to hear from ya'all first.

Our defense budget is so expensive because we have to pay our employees and military alot more than most other countries. Somehow I doubt the pay of Zimbabwe soldiers is anywhere near our soldier and civilians pay.

We also need to spend as much as countries "#2 - #15" because many of the countries in #2 - #193 would like to see us destoryed.

 

[Samson]

Why do we spend so much on military? Theories?

We're #1, and we spend as much as numbers 2-15... Combined. Why? Is there anyone out there who actually believes we need to spend this much for traditional defense/safety reasons?

I've got my own theories but if it pleases the court I'd like to hear from ya'all first.

Our defense budget is so expensive because we have to pay our employees and military alot more than most other countries. Somehow I doubt the pay of Zimbabwe soldiers is anywhere near our soldier and civilians pay.

We also need to spend as much as countries "#2 - #15" because many of the countries in #2 - #193 would like to see us destoryed.

I also doubt Zimbabwe has any Aircraft Carrier Groups.

 

[rightwinger]

Why do we spend so much on military? Theories?

We're #1, and we spend as much as numbers 2-15... Combined. Why? Is there anyone out there who actually believes we need to spend this much for traditional defense/safety reasons?

I've got my own theories but if it pleases the court I'd like to hear from ya'all first.

Our defense budget is so expensive because we have to pay our employees and military alot more than most other countries. Somehow I doubt the pay of Zimbabwe soldiers is anywhere near our soldier and civilians pay.

We also need to spend as much as countries "#2 - #15" because many of the countries in #2 - #193 would like to see us destoryed.

I also doubt Zimbabwe has any Aircraft Carrier Groups.

The only reason Zimbabwe has soldiers is so they can keep their own citizens from rebelling

 

[Douger]

Because Murkaz main export is death and destruction. If you abolish the military and the govt. contractors that produce these weapons of death, unemployment in the Empire would soar to 35% or more.
You'd have millions entering the workforce that know nothing more than how to worship a flag, make their bed, and polish boots.
I guess the porn industry could use them since they'll do absolutely anything a "superior" tells them to do.

 

[Cecilie1200]

DOD alone is 18.7% this year, Jilly. Factor in other military protocol, it's nearly 1/3.

It's also greater than half of discretionary spending.

[edit] The interest on previous expenditures is part of the 1/3 figure

LOL interest? Really? So can we factor in the interest on all the social programs too?

The wars do not count, the defense budget is not 18 percent. Hasn't been that in MANY years. But you delusional keep on making bogus claims. Once again for the STUPID and the slow. Defense is a REQUIRED expenditure and responsibility as directed by the Constitution. Social spending is neither required nor even authorized, that is all States concerns, the federal Government has no authority in the matter at all.

The defense budget is in the realm of $1 trillion per year. You can continue to delude yourself all you want, my claims are far from bogus. In fact, they're quite easily verified.

And again, Social Security is paid by a fund established for that purpose, which is supplied by payroll taxes (FICA), NOT income taxes. It is not losing money yet. It's getting close and will not survive upon it's current trajectory, but so far it will not lose money this year nor has it ever.

The Social Security Fund? There's no Social Security Fund, you idiot. The government takes that money out faster than it comes in and SPENDS it. All there is in your vaunted "Fund" is a bunch of IOUs. Are you really imagining that there's a big bank account somewhere that all your FICA money goes into and just sits there until you ask for it back at retirement? Please.

 

[Cecilie1200]

Why do we spend so much on military? Theories?

We're #1, and we spend as much as numbers 2-15... Combined. Why? Is there anyone out there who actually believes we need to spend this much for traditional defense/safety reasons?

I've got my own theories but if it pleases the court I'd like to hear from ya'all first.

Our defense budget is so expensive because we have to pay our employees and military alot more than most other countries. Somehow I doubt the pay of Zimbabwe soldiers is anywhere near our soldier and civilians pay.

We also need to spend as much as countries "#2 - #15" because many of the countries in #2 - #193 would like to see us destoryed.

Not to mention the fact that many of the countries in 2-15 are looking to US to protect them, and therefore get away with having much smaller militaries than they would need if we weren't here.

 

[Jarhead]

LOL interest? Really? So can we factor in the interest on all the social programs too?

The wars do not count, the defense budget is not 18 percent. Hasn't been that in MANY years. But you delusional keep on making bogus claims. Once again for the STUPID and the slow. Defense is a REQUIRED expenditure and responsibility as directed by the Constitution. Social spending is neither required nor even authorized, that is all States concerns, the federal Government has no authority in the matter at all.

The defense budget is in the realm of $1 trillion per year. You can continue to delude yourself all you want, my claims are far from bogus. In fact, they're quite easily verified.

And again, Social Security is paid by a fund established for that purpose, which is supplied by payroll taxes (FICA), NOT income taxes. It is not losing money yet. It's getting close and will not survive upon it's current trajectory, but so far it will not lose money this year nor has it ever.

The Social Security Fund? There's no Social Security Fund, you idiot. The government takes that money out faster than it comes in and SPENDS it. All there is in your vaunted "Fund" is a bunch of IOUs. Are you really imagining that there's a big bank account somewhere that all your FICA money goes into and just sits there until you ask for it back at retirement? Please.

Huh? What? YOU LIE! They promised it will be kept in a lock box. No way they are spending it faster than they collect it.

 

[Political Junky]

File:U.S. Federal Spending - FY 2007.png - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This shows defense was 23% of the budget in 2009.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

The wars do not count, the defense budget is not 18 percent

Except that it is, like we showed you.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Re mandatory spending, you overlook that Social Security is a separate entity, paid from a separate payroll tax designated for that purpose; Not from income taxes.

Doesn't matter. The money all goes to the same place.

It is still collecting more money than it's disbursing, although you'd never know it just from reading posts around here.

That won't last once the Baby Boomers are in full retirement mode.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

The defense budget is in the realm of $1 trillion per year.

No it isn't.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

The defense budget is in the realm of $1 trillion per year.

No it isn't.

Yes, it is, if you count things like FBI's counterterrorism budget, and NASA. The DoD budget by itself is around 800 Billion.

 

[beowolfe]

The reason we spend so much on defense has nothing to do with domestic security. We are securing the right of our corporations to operate in other countries as our corporations see fit rather than allowing them to operate in those countries under the rules of those countries. We have been doing this since the Marines went to Triopli to smack the 'pirates'.

 

[Cuyo]

LOL interest? Really? So can we factor in the interest on all the social programs too?

The wars do not count, the defense budget is not 18 percent. Hasn't been that in MANY years. But you delusional keep on making bogus claims. Once again for the STUPID and the slow. Defense is a REQUIRED expenditure and responsibility as directed by the Constitution. Social spending is neither required nor even authorized, that is all States concerns, the federal Government has no authority in the matter at all.

The defense budget is in the realm of $1 trillion per year. You can continue to delude yourself all you want, my claims are far from bogus. In fact, they're quite easily verified.

And again, Social Security is paid by a fund established for that purpose, which is supplied by payroll taxes (FICA), NOT income taxes. It is not losing money yet. It's getting close and will not survive upon it's current trajectory, but so far it will not lose money this year nor has it ever.

The Social Security Fund? There's no Social Security Fund, you idiot. The government takes that money out faster than it comes in and SPENDS it. All there is in your vaunted "Fund" is a bunch of IOUs. Are you really imagining that there's a big bank account somewhere that all your FICA money goes into and just sits there until you ask for it back at retirement? Please.

Money is fungible, you dimwit. I don't have enough time to give you a full economic lesson, but I wholly suggest you enroll in a class sometime. You desperately need it.

Yes at some point the government determined that the SS Trust fund could not stand still and do nothing; It must be invested like any other long term investment. We invest it in the operation of our government, which is better than borrowing more money from other nations.

Just the same, in 2009 the fed collected $949 billion in SS Payroll tax, and disbursed $944b. Regardless of the fact that the actual funds (Which as we already covered, are fungible) were not lock-boxed and sent out to recipients, the program still collected more than it disbursed.

You're putting money in one pocket and paying recipients out of another pocket on the same pair of jeans. It's hardly the budget-busting money laundering scheme you paint it as.