Why do we complain of 5 Billion spent on the war and not 27 billion spent yearly on earmarks?

Question

Earmarks are Pork barrel projects which the majority do not help anyone, Bridges to nowhere being one example, and yet 5 billion could create a peaceful Democracy in the Middle east amid countries which are controlled by SAVAGES, and TERRORISTS!!

For you people without math skills that is 5 billion per year!

Answer 1

liberals love to spend. just not on the military.

and thats a memo

Answer 2

There already is something being done about earmarks. Check that one hundred hour thing the democrats have been talking about. I'm really starting to believe people don't listen, don't learn and are not interested in keeping up with what our government is actually doing, just bashing each other. Man are we stupid or what? Any earmark will have the person's name attached to that earmark. Maybe embarrassing them will help stop them dipping into the pork barrel. Personally I think their hand should be cut off for attempting to stick it in the barrel. How do you embarrass someone with no integrity?

Answer 3

Get your facts straight. The cost of the "war" as you call it will be $2 trillion over ten years. The last bill passed by Congress for funding in Iraq was $70 billion. Defense was funded at $498 billion for 2007, that was set by the 109th. Congress. Spending on Reagan's "Star Wars" is at $2 trillion and it does not work. The Patriot missile system cost $60 billion and only works half the time. Each lost missile cost's tax payers $2 million. BTW, what you call "war" is in fact occupation, we are in that fix because Bush had no exit plan for his invasion as he was told he should have by Powell.

Answer 4

well... you're wrong on almost every point.. impressive consistency...

we've spent MUCH more than 5 billion, first off... where did you get any of your numbers?

second off... most of those projects do help people... just people in certain states... you only list the one famous one that doesn't really help that many...

but HERE'S THE MAJOR PROBLEM with what you said...

you call them "savages and terrorists"... yet we're establishing a democracy and Bush said we're going to leave...

uh... who do you think savages and terrorists will elect?

MAYBE OTHER SAVAGES AND TERRORISTS?

if you believe what you say, then this entire mission is a farce and a HUGE waste of money... since we're just turning it back over to them?

Answer 5

Its because of the fact charity ought to start at homestead, not in a foreign country. there are various needy human beings in Britain and it reasons assorted undesirable feeling whilst they are being disregarded and there is an open door coverage for immigrants with reward, housing and so on provided. some human beings (those of low intelligence fantastically) then think of the BNP are the answer to this subject. The wars you point out are necessary evils. Many immigrants, eg. Abu Hamza do not precisely do different respectable immigrants any favours.

Answer 6

Hey!! I resent that "bridges to nowhere" label. You guys have *no* idea what it's like to live in a state where most of your towns are not on a road system. We won't even go into the fact that 99% of our land is tied up against development - we don't have much choice but to be a welfare state.

I know I'm going to take a total roasting for this, but is the bridge to nowhere really any stupider than rebuilding a major city that sits below sea level and in the paths of hurricanes?

Chi, they'd just waste is elsewhere. It wouldn't do any good. That's the nature of bureaucracy......

Answer 7

Peaceful? Democracy? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? 34.000 civilians killed in 2006... sounds not like the best use for 5 billion... they are like the same as the earmarks, but with a lot of dead people behind.

Answer 8

Democracy is not the only type of freedom, what you advocate is a Pax Americanus, not peace or freedom.

For your information, In the United States legislative appropriations process, Congress has, within the powers granted under Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution, the power to direct the appropriations of money drawn from the treasury. This includes the power to ''earmark' funds it appropriates (in other words, "to designate revenue") to be spent on specific named projects.

In politics, a pork barrel (or pork barrel politics) is a derogatory term describing government spending that is intended to benefit constituents of a politician in return for their political support, either in the form of campaign contributions or votes. The term is thought to have originated on Southern United States plantations, where slaves were allocated the unwanted remainder of slaughtered pigs, or the "pork barrel." Typically it involves funding for government programs whose economic or service benefits are concentrated in a particular area but whose costs are spread among all taxpayers.

If America stopped fixing the price of oil so low, to maintsain its own love affir with the globally destructive automobile, and allowed the Middle East to freely trade, they would be free to invest, or waste that money on what-ever type of goverment they wanted to elect. The key words - are they would be free to do so - notyou would be free to decide for them.

And which countries are more backward, the onews who spend billions bribing thier voters with 'earmarks' or the ones who are pulling themself out of the third world?

Answer 9

What are you trying to do by asking this question?
Create unemployement?
Ruin the days for a Public servant?
Prevent unruly youths and street hoods from getting the opportinity to travel oveseas to see the wonders of the Middle east?
Have Commissions into Public Spending and waste more taxpayers money?
Just keep quiet and let us politicians keep things running for all you employed who want to keep working to pay off your mortagages and avoid dealing with hoodlums on the streets!

Answer 10

5 Billion?? Talk about fuzzy math. The war is in the neighborhood of 500 billion dollars and counting. I wonder what that 500 billion could have been used for elsewhere.

Answer 11

5 Billion? Dude, we've already spent over $300 Billion. What are you smoking?