Military spending

[CosmicCowboy]

What the fuck are we doing? It's eating our economy. I'm not talking about the pittance we are sending Ukraine. We need to be loading those bad boys up with all the good stuff and should have given then F16 training a year ago. I'm talking about specifically the army. Why do we need almost 3/4 of a million in the army in the modern environment? The Russians aren't going to come pouring through the Fulda gap and only idiots get in a land war with China. We already realized bringing "democracy" to the Middle East etc. Is fools gold. What the fuck do they do now?

[baseline bum]

What the fuck are we doing? It's eating our economy. I'm not talking about the pittance we are sending Ukraine. We need to be loading those bad boys up with all the good stuff and should have given then F16 training a year ago. I'm talking about specifically the army. Why do we need almost 3/4 of a million in the army in the modern environment? The Russians aren't going to come pouring through the Fulda gap and only idiots get in a land war with China. We already realized bringing "democracy" to the Middle East etc. Is fools gold. What the fuck do they do now?

It makes powerful corporations a lot of money for us to constantly be either at war or threatening it. They run the nation so what they want they get.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Joint Chiefs have repeatedly stated they do not require various destroyers, armored vehicles, planes, and the like.

Congress keeps funding the projects anyway. As BB points out, it is because of the military industrial complex.

[Nbadan]

nobody wants to look weak on defense. It dominates non-discretionary spending. What war are we getting ready for? There is also the problem of cheap drones knocking out expensive equipment..

[Th'Pusher]

Let’s not forget the army is also a jobs program for the poor and uneducated.

[Adam Lambert]

Let’s not forget the army is also a jobs program for the poor and uneducated.

Jobs program with free propaganda training.

[Millennial_Messiah]

Defund Ukraine and defund all the wasted money on DEI and other woke training, also VA entitlement benefits should only last 5 years after service and then veterans should have to pay for their own medical like every other citizen.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Defund Ukraine and defund all the wasted money on DEI and other woke training, also VA entitlement benefits should only last 5 years after service and then veterans should have to pay for their own medical like every other citizen.

What's up, Goebbels? Missing dein fuhrers superweapons?

[Millennial_Messiah]

What's up, Goebbels? Missing dein fuhrers superweapons?

There is only one Fuhrer of America and he is President Trump :toast

[Winehole23]

What the fuck are we doing? It's eating our economy. I'm not talking about the pittance we are sending Ukraine. We need to be loading those bad boys up with all the good stuff and should have given then F16 training a year ago. I'm talking about specifically the army. Why do we need almost 3/4 of a million in the army in the modern environment? The Russians aren't going to come pouring through the Fulda gap and only idiots get in a land war with China. We already realized bringing "democracy" to the Middle East etc. Is fools gold. What the fuck do they do now?The US military provides muscle for Wall Street and the banks and protects shipping lanes all over the world; both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans are basically US lakes. The chaos and insecurity it sows provides a permanent market for defense contractors, which all by themselves are a significant part of our industrial base.(Military keynesianism.)The protection the US provides Europe has basically reduced the EU to US vassalage at this point, so it's a way of keeping our friends down too. Military power also protects strategic raw materials and is a power base for forcing access to more, should that become necessary.

While it's true we don't need a large standing army for mainland defense or for land wars against major powers, the ability to wreck smaller countries from time to time probably keeps others somewhat in check

Military spending also has internal effects, very significantly, it maintains the basis of false austerity and social control. It ties up money that might otherwise be invested in tangible public goods for people here.

.

[Winehole23]

The money we spent off books in Iraq and Afghanistan alone could have paid for Medicare for all, free college tuition, public housing, better schools, public transportation, infrastructure, etc.. All stuff that lowers the cost of doing business and provides a competitive advantage.

So yeah, military spending represents huge lost opportunity costs for the USA.

[ElNono]

I thought we were being invaded from Mexico :rolleyes

[Trainwreck2100]

good luck taking their money they got all the guns, and not the pea shooters the 2nd ammendment advocates use to massacre innocent shoppers

[koriwhat]

good luck taking their money they got all the guns, and not the pea shooters the 2nd ammendment TRANNIES use to massacre innocent shoppers

FIFY

[baseline bum]

The money we spent off books in Iraq and Afghanistan alone could have paid for Medicare for all, free college tuition, public housing, better schools, public transportation, infrastructure, etc.. All stuff that lowers the cost of doing business and provides a competitive advantage.

So yeah, military spending represents huge lost opportunity costs for the USA.

You're looking at this from the perspective of the people. Fuck the people, they're inconsequential in America. That's not a real opportunity cost to the ruling class of this nation.

[Ef-man]

You're looking at this from the perspective of the people. Fuck the people, they're inconsequential in America. That's not a real opportunity cost to the ruling class of this nation.

I heard the military was for losers, bigly.

[CosmicCowboy]

Let’s not forget the army is also a jobs program for the poor and uneducated.

This is true. Not saying that doesn't add value to society but the same "job" could be done through a CCP clone for the modern age including job training for real jobs

[Th'Pusher]

This is true. Not saying that doesn't add value to society but the same "job" could be done through a CCP clone for the modern age including job training for real jobs

Couldn’t agree more. I didn’t intend to imply it was a good, much less a cost effective, jobs program.

[pgardn]

good luck taking their money they got all the guns, and not the pea shooters the 2nd ammendment advocates use to massacre innocent shoppers

Trump should just start a private military.
Get all the Oathcreepers, Proudlittlemen, motorcyle gangfks, etc... to do his bidding.
Pull a Prigohzin during peaceful times when he loses again. Do it...


https://youtu.be/toY7xYnAang


"we are not looking for any fights, but in the event we are asked for armed security by our true president..."

Bunch of old fat farts need the stupid knocked out of them.
"But my gun/penis makes it even"

[DMX7]

Joint Chiefs have repeatedly stated they do not require various destroyers, armored vehicles, planes, and the like.

Congress keeps funding the projects anyway. As BB points out, it is because of the military industrial complex.

Even the so called "deficit hawks" are more than happy to write blank checks for the MIC. The problem for fiscal conservatives like myself is that there are none in congress.

[FrostKing]

The money we spent off books in Iraq and Afghanistan alone could have paid for free college tuition
Trade school and you got me

I'm not sure the typical military is worse off as an adult than the average College attendee in America. And arguably better for our society in certain aspects.

[pgardn]

Trade school and you got me

I'm not sure the typical military is worse off as an adult than the average College attendee in America. And arguably better for our society in certain aspects.

If the average college attendee cant keep a schedule, has zero discipline, and has no clue after getting out of HS, its certainly not a bad place.
But I doubt very seriously you can pin down the average college student. The military is more likely to take care of the average HS student.
Even the drop out HS students who cant get their shit together and realize part of getting through an education actual does involve red tape hoops just like real life. There are things you do to just check boxes. Too many people try to fight it without any realization why its there... Where the hoop jumping comes from. They just cry fk it and forget it. Not a good plan. Imo this is why this "Own Your Own Franchise, Let me help you..." shit ALSO involves checking boxes. Or.... Trump University can give you a business education in grifting WITHOUT having your DAddy set you up to begin with. Too many people want to run through walls instead of more deftly and gently open the door. You can become a rebel later.

Edit: There are indeed real gems that come from the military as they give kids more time to mature and organize. Ideally this should have already happened in the home but its much tougher now with such giant wealth inequalities.

[Tyronn Lue]

I thought we were being invaded from Mexico :rolleyes
Still waiting for my beer to be back in stores. I wish they'd hurry it up.

[Splits]

Only 2 things guaranteed to bring "bi-partisanship" to DC:
1) we only raise military spending, never keep it stagnant, never cut
2) Israel can do nothing wrong

[TDMVPDPOY]

even if u stop funding the military u going to fund something else useless not beneficial to the economy...

isnt 3/4 the population is on welfare even when there are jobs? welfare long term isnt sustainable

[FrostKing]

If the average college attendee cant keep a schedule, has zero discipline, and has no clue after getting out of HS, its certainly not a bad place.
But I doubt very seriously you can pin down the average college student. The military is more likely to take care of the average HS student.
Even the drop out HS students who cant get their shit together and realize part of getting through an education actual does involve red tape hoops just like real life. There are things you do to just check boxes. Too many people try to fight it without any realization why its there... Where the hoop jumping comes from. They just cry fk it and forget it. Not a good plan. Imo this is why this "Own Your Own Franchise, Let me help you..." shit ALSO involves checking boxes. Or.... Trump University can give you a business education in grifting WITHOUT having your DAddy set you up to begin with. Too many people want to run through walls instead of more deftly and gently open the door. You can become a rebel later.

Edit: There are indeed real gems that come from the military as they give kids more time to mature and organize. Ideally this should have already happened in the home but its much tougher now with such giant wealth inequalities.
Amigo. A little difficult to follow here.

Sentence 1 is like 25% of American college freshman. If you've been in a STEM classroom you know half the class is over 22 years old and often foreign born. This whole "2-year undergrad discovery stage" is a money grab and because they truly have no idea what to do.

But Daddy and his money won't save you in the military. In American college there is countless 2nd/3rd chances. Plus financial advantages with tutors/stolen tests etc. You can pay your way to an extent. Military? No.

Military type (here in San Diego we have many) tend to construct the lower foundation of US of A . They are given money - they purchase stuff like property, cars & start families. Overall they tend to float.