The brutal truth. We can no longer afford our military and our military excursio

[Freeper]

MadHound  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Tue Mar-29-11 07:09 PM
Original message
The brutal truth. We can no longer afford our military and our military excursions.
   
As we sally forth into another Middle East war, the brutal truth is coming home to roost in this country; our military is sucking our country dry. Over fifty percent of our annual budget is spent on the military <http://www.warresisters.org/pages/piechart.htm >. Meanwhile, here at home we are witnessing people dying from hunger and cold while our "leaders" contemplate even more draconian cuts to the very social services that help keep people out of poverty, that help keep people alive.

A small example, the proposed cuts in low income heating assistance for next year. The number on the table is a cut of 2.5 billion. Apparently, our debt is so dire that we must consign people to freezing next winter. Meanwhile, two weeks ago, we blew off 2.5 billion in Cruise missiles alone. Hey, we can't afford to insure that people keep warm in the winter, but we can provide one hell of a deadly pyrotechnics show for the people of Libya.

The overarching scream theme in our government these days is the debt. They're right, the debt is a huge problem, one that is dragging down our economy, dragging down our nation. But rather than cutting the excess out of the biggest ticket item, military spending, our government is now hell bent on cutting that money out of our own hides. Programs that help the poor, the middle class, that provide a modicum of comfort and security for our elderly, all of these are on the chopping block. But as we have seen time and again over the years, military spending is sancrosanct.

This is simply an untenable position. We can no longer sacrifice the well being of our population on the altar of the military. Down that path lies ruin, as was so very well illustrated by the collapse of the Soviet Union and other empires throughout the ages. We can no longer afford to be the world policeman, we can no longer afford wars for empire.

The time has come for all of us to put a halt to such insanity. We need to force our leaders, by any means necessary, to stop this insane spending on the military. Our very futures, both individually and collectively, depend on this. Otherwise, we will continue down this long, painful road to ruin.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x769239

I bet if the Army was unionized then we could afford it.

texastoast  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Journal  Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Tue Mar-29-11 07:22 PM
Response to Original message
5. Trillion plus dollar deficit
   
Trillion plus dollars spent on the Oil Wars since 2003. Frankly, I'm seeing a correlation here.

Yeah it has to be defense spending, it can't possibly all the entitlements and pork projects that congress has been pushing through.

[franksolich]

We can no longer afford our entitlements, which cost a Hell of a lot more than the military.

By the way, one sees that some transportation authority in New York City--Dem-run, of course--wants to compel those on public assistance to work cleaning out subway cars.

One wonders what the subway cat thinks of that, if she knows of it.

[Freeper]

We can no longer afford our entitlements, which cost a Hell of a lot more than the military.

By the way, one sees that some transportation authority in New York City--Dem-run, of course--wants to compel those on public assistance to work cleaning out subway cars.

One wonders what the subway cat thinks of that, if she knows of it.

I'm sure the unions will try to get them to pay union dues.

[Ballygrl]

We can no longer afford our entitlements, which cost a Hell of a lot more than the military.

[DefiantSix]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x769239

I bet if the Army was unionized then we could afford it.

The Army doesn't need unions to be united.  I doubt the union thugs would appreciate the reception they'd get from 'em.

[MrsSmith]

I looked at the site in the OP...talk about twisted "logic."  (not sure the term "logic" actually applies...)

Current military” includes Dept. of Defense ($653 billion), the military portion from other departments ($150 billion), and an additional $162 billion to supplement the Budget’s misleading and vast underestimate of only $38 billion for the “war on terror.” “Past military” represents veterans’ benefits plus 80% of the interest on the debt.*

Their pie chart shows total military spending to be 54% of Federal spending.  I can only guess that they count Medicare and Social Security benefits for veterans as "military," along with deciding their would be no debt if there was no military, so most of the debt goes under military also.  

Do they even stop to think what unemployment would be like for the short time we're still a country after all the military personnel and civilian workers are laid off?  (Duh, what am I thinking, a liberal with actual thoughts.  I know better.)    The military is the most efficient government program for creating jobs...yet they hate it.  

[thundley4]

I looked at the site in the OP...talk about twisted "logic."  (not sure the term "logic" actually applies...)

Their pie chart shows total military spending to be 54% or Federal spending.  I can only guess that they count Medicare and Social Security benefits for veterans as "military," along with deciding their would be no debt if there was no military, so most of the debt goes under military also.  

Do they even stop to think what unemployment would be like for the short time we're still a country after all the military personnel and civilian workers are laid off?  (Duh, what am I thinking, a liberal with actual thoughts.  I know better.)     The military is the most efficient government program for creating jobs...yet they hate it.   

Because unlike most "federal employees", the military doesn't vote for DemonRats en masse.

[MrsSmith]

Because unlike most "federal employees", the military doesn't vote for DemonRats en masse.

Sometimes "teh stupid" is just more than I can imagine.  It makes my head hurt.