http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022401029Tue Feb 19, 2013, 08:11 PM
quinnox (14,869 posts)
I don't feel proud of our behemoth military might
Sorry, I must be a bad American. I don't feel a surge of pride when I see our big bad aircraft carriers sailing manfully around or our sleek attack jets or helicopters raining destruction down on the "evil-doers". I once was like that, an English guy was visiting and I said that we (the United States) can kick any countries ass if we want to, and that is one reason my country was so great. I was in my early 20s, young and dumb. Now I have changed and I see it totally differently.
I see our gigantic, ridiculous military power as an embarrassment, not a strength. All that money was wasted and could have gone to much better things and areas, oh say like, human welfare or social areas or scientific research or medical research or energy technology research etc etc etc. Yet it never stops, the military machine marches on, what a kick-ass country we live in!
You owe those men and women a "thank you" for every breath of air you are able to breathe. You owe them and others a "thank you" for every crum of wealth that has ever fallen to you. Without them, you are a useful idiot, a poor useful idiot, and were put up against the wall years ago. The Communists weren't kidding when they said they wanted to rule the world and they had nothing against getting huge numbers of their own people to achieve it.
Response to quinnox (Original post)
Tue Feb 19, 2013, 08:17 PM
kairos12 (405 posts)
2. Most people would be surprised to know the defense budget has essentially doubled since 2001.
Funny how fighting in two major campaigns does that isn't it. In the meantime, what did you contribute to society?
Response to quinnox (Original post)
Tue Feb 19, 2013, 08:17 PM
Ilsa (31,073 posts)
3. Like it or not,
We belong to what is sometimes seen a a "bully club."
It could be worse. I saw an email petition from Donald Trump wanting us to take and pillage from any country we invade. The idea originally was to recover our cost of war with Iraq's oil. But why wouldn't this also mean, "enslave their children," or "rape their women"?
Most of the ones that call us bullies are the same ones that would push around their neighbors if we weren't around. Being called a bully by Chavez or Castro is something to be proud of.
Response to quinnox (Original post)
Tue Feb 19, 2013, 08:17 PM
REP (17,880 posts)
4. I live near an Air Force base; I feel intense annoyance as they fly over with afterburners on
But no, the machinery of war gets a big "meh" from me, yet I do feel something like gratitude? maybe for all the young people who volunteer, for whatever reason - money for school, lack of jobs, patriotism - to be cannon fodder. I just wish the old men playing "Army" wouldn't throw away those lives so casually, oftentimes under flimsy pretenses to try out their new toys.
Those "old men" were LTs in Vietnam and Grenada, and Captains and Majors in the Gulf War. I guarantee you that sending young men into harm's way is something that bothers these "old men" every single time they do it. Unless you mean old men like Barrak "I did blow instead of go" Obama.
Response to quinnox (Original post)
Tue Feb 19, 2013, 08:22 PM
Arugula Latte (38,982 posts)
6. And yet even here on DU many people will jump down your throat if you dare question
the tremendous WASTE of money and lives that is the U.S. military and the U.S. military-industrial complex.
When was the last time the U.S. military was used for good? World War II is the obvious answer, and there might have been a few good limited actions here and there, but since 1945 it has primarily been used for ill.
The whole thing sickens me to my core.
It's only because you see the US as evil. Every action taken since 1945 has been a reaction to either communism or barbarians.
Response to quinnox (Original post)
Tue Feb 19, 2013, 08:23 PM
Warpy (67,117 posts)
7. I think "there goes my health insurance, my stolen wages"
We're all being robbed to support an imperial military that benefits only the rich, and the rich have abdicated their responsibility for supporting it and thrown it all onto our shoulders.
Stolen? At least the government has an explicit responsibility to defend against foreign enemies. You want it to be spent buying things for you that you should be able to handle on your own.
Response to quinnox (Original post)
Tue Feb 19, 2013, 10:06 PM
jeff47 (6,506 posts)
11. Just wanted to point out
scientific research or medical research or energy technology research
DoD is one of the only entities in the US that will do basic research on these subjects.
The glory days of Bell Labs are long gone, and we won't pay NASA or NIH to do the research. So we pay the DoD to do it.
Sure, having other entities do the research would be better, and not include the overhead of things like aircraft carriers. But lots of DoD-funded research ends up being very helpful on those subjects. Like this whole "Internet" thing the DoD invented.
Unfortunately, when people talk about DoD cuts, they rarely have much of an effect on the "operational" side of the DoD. And nobody's willing to add the DoD cuts to other agencies.
Cut a couple carriers, and send 25% of the money to DARPA.
It would be better to end things like Headstart (proven dubious spending).
