Ridiculous War-Spending Levels

[liberalmike27]

It is no wonder that Republicans spend us into the poor-house when they are in office.

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20040624/D83DDJ5O1.html

With this level of spending, $447 Billion which is about a quarter of the budget, we are rapidly approaching the bankruptcy court. If I were a lending country I'd start to be worried. When you add all of the other partial appropriations, the FBI, Homeland Security, the CIA, NASA, and the many other things like the Coast Guard that are part of the defense budget, I imagine you approach half the budget.

Why is this? Well, it would seem we've picked up the old-West star and pinned it to our chest. When you've decided to be pro-bono policemen for the world, it costs quite a bit of cash. The sad part is, no one even wants us to do it, and about 80% of the world considers us a lumbering giant with a club. They tolerate us much like the guy at the party who's always handing out insults, low on his lithium dose, while others sit quietly hoping they won't be the next victim. With his mental instability, he's not happy just letting others live their lives, either ridiculing them, or trying to change them to his sick way of thinking. Occasionally, someone bloodies his nose as was 9/11, just not being able to take his crap any longer. It costs us a fortune, the world has no interest in our interference (we call it help), why not throw the star back in the drawer, and keep our guns ready to actually defend ourselves.

Think about how much better a job we could do were we to actually spend the money to make ourselves safer. We could inspect nearly all of the crates coming into our country, we could develop new ways to detect explosives and bio-agents, but most of all, by not meddling in the affairs of other countries unilaterally, as we have in Iraq, the cultivation of terrorists would drop like a crop with no rain. After all, War is the rain that makes fertile the fields of terrorist recruiters. Truly, with a focus on defending ourselves, instead of attacking others, for half the price we could achieve twice the safety. And we wouldn't have to give up freedoms, as with the poorly named Patriot Act.

No need to worry though. With these people in office, their families so closely tied to the Carlyle Group, the largest private equity group, who buys defense, energy, and telecom concerns that profit from our huge war-making budget directly, the war-making machine will continue to be fed. And with this, people will die all over the world, we won't seek diplomatic solutions when available preferring our crushing power and iron hand, we will continue to drive on over-populated roads, health-care will be lacking, Social Security income taxes will be increased, then spent on anything but our old people. Like so many other countries in the past, we will spend ourself into a situation where we will be broke for centuries. And all because people can't seem to connect the agents of our government, and their investments.

[xchrom]

debt as far as the eye can see

it's ridiculous -- and then when you consider this war was elective it becomes a romp through the looking glass.

[Hornito]

1. And the sad things is, the vote in the House was 403-17, and in

the Senate, is was unanimous. This means nearly all of the Dems in Congress voted to give this corrupt and criminal regime hundreds of billions more to continue their wars, invasions, and things like Bush's phony-ass missile defense program ($9.7 BILLION!).

The excuse that the support was necessary because this is an election year, is as lame as can be. Would they also vote to give Hitler more gas for his chambers, or to give Stalin more bullets with which to fuel his firing squads? Sadly, it appears so.

At what point will the Dems stand up and say "no more!", and demand mass resignations at the Pentagon, and the executive branch? Apparently, they never will. Fear and corruption are keeping them all from doing the right thing.

It boggles the mind that my party continues to support these fascists, and in the process, helps to dig their own graves, and those of the citizens of this nation. Who were the brave 17 in the House who voted not to support this evil enterprise? When I find out, thank you letters will be sent....

[liberalmike27]

2. I agree Hornito

We continue to buy our way into oblivion. People are fairly clueless about how much the Democrats and Republicans are in synch.

Unfortunately, both are bought by the same corporations. The media is carefully controlled, portrays itself as more liberal and actually is more conservative. Believe me, if the media wanted to have enough Democrats in to do something, they would. But the Democrats' job is to pretend to oppose, but to have just less than half so Republicans can do their agenda. Clinton was more right-wing than Nixon, to get an indication of how far to the right we've all gone.

I do think the house is going to crash down around us eventually. Only then will we see the futility of our ways. Then we will eat the rich.

[Hornito]

3. "Then we will eat the rich." Pass the salt & pepper! I'm hungry!

n/t

[Cheswick2.0]

4. kick