If half the 2006 DOD budget of $442 billion (not counting $85 billion supplemental) were invested elsewhere (infrastructure, education, subsidies, direct foreign aid) would the rate of return be higher? Has anyone tried to quantify the value of geo-political capital that hegemony provides?
Serious answers only please, take your vitriol elsewhere.
2006-12-17 21:05:39 · 1 answers · asked by Mark P 5 in Politics & Government ➔ Government
I am currently in Seoul. My question was more Ivory Tower in nature, overall efficacy of policy. I am not promoting one policy over another, it just occurred to me today that someone smarter than me might have tackled and put a quantifiable value on what I consider to be an important question.
2006-12-17 23:42:52 · update #1
Lets suppose the U.S. withdraws from the middle east and all hell breaks loose.....The Iranians have their nuclear weapons and either threaten or use them on their enemy's.....suppose everyone else who opposes the Shiites arms up and the chaos begins....religious zealots try to force their brand of Islam on the unwilling or the weak...can you put a price on that or is the West obligated to do something to promote peace...have you traveled to other countries? we have it pretty good here and I think we have the moral obligation to promote human rights throughout the world and crush dictators.
2006-12-17 22:27:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋