three-quarters of a trillion dollars....for war, of course?

Question

damn, for a second i thought that budget was gonna go to AIDS-agonizing people in Swaziland, or starving children in Ethiopia, refugees in Darfur, families of raped women in Rwanda, people suffering from diseases due to the lack of safe drinking water in Kenya.....hell, at least reforesting the whole world. You could feed a continent.

Oh but wait, yeah I forgot, war is more important! War "sets people free"! Hundreds of thousands people are dying, and for what? adding zeros to Cheney,Bush,Lesar and-the-list-goes-on's income. So now that Afghanistan and Iraq are a total waste, the next target is Iran and the Persian Gulf while Israel and Pakistan do the rest of the job. Then we'll all be a star on certain flag. It's the sick truth. clap clap clap.

Answer 1

This type of argument always proves to be false. For example, the Apollo space program was cut drastically, (600 billion in today's dollars), to allocate more money for President Johnson's push on the "Great Society". Well we still have poor people, medical care issues, environmental issues, civil rights issues, etc..

The same thing happened in the early to mid 1990's. The cold war ended, military spending was cut drastically, bases were closed en masse and that money was going to go to solve domestic issues. The "Peace Dividend" didn't eliminate the issues either.

Unfortunately money does not solve the social issues of our day, whether domestic or foriegn. I wish it would, our world would be a better place.

War, a very complicated, sad, wasteful, and sometimes necessary thing. I'd suggest you educate yourself on the goals of radical Islam and Al-Queda. They want to destory freedom and set up a world wide fundamental Islamic state.

Women would love that. They are property in that system. They have no rights, and are inferior to men. They have to cover up in heavy clothing 365/24-7. When men or women are "convicted", by the religious police they are severly punished. That punishment is usually physical, cutting off a limb, beatings, and execution. But the self-appointed religious police have that power, and are supported by their goverment.

So war, probably a really good idea to do whatever we need to, as to prevent prevent that paradigm from spreading. War against terrorists and their sponsors, whether individuals or Nation States, has to be waged.

Trust me I wish it weren't so, but the facts are the facts. I'm glad we are not fighting this battle on American soil. I can remember the innocents slaughtered on 9-11.

I remember the scenes never shown on TV after that day. You know the ones of people jumping instead of burning, and their bodies splattering like road-kill all over the ground. The one of two burnt to a crisp bodies, strapped into completely wrecked airline seats that somehow ended up somewhat/at least recognizable, in tact on the ground between the towers prior to them falling.

What if those people were you, your spouse, children? What would you do then? Look into your heart and tell me honestly that you would not want to prevent that from ever happening to someone else. Might you even want revenge? Gotta fight this war wherever we need to.

It is our duty in the world and to ourselves to fight terrorists and radical states whether Islamic or other. It is also our duty to do all we can for other countries. Hopefully corruption in those contries doesn't prevent the money from getting to the people, doesn't stop the food from getting to the ones who need it and doesn't stop the medicine from being diverted away from the poor to the rich or to be resold for profit.

There are many examples of all of this happening so don't think for a minute this is America's doing. Want some recent examples? Food, think Somalia among others, money, think about 1970's Iran and the Shah, or perhaps Slobodan Milosovic. Medicine diversions, Aids meds, antibiotics, vaccines, most all Sub-Saharan African countries are guilty.

The ideals you would suggest are wonderful, just not realistic. Unfortunately humans are not entirely benign. We humans have many objectives and motivations. As long as we are human we will have issues. Live with that fact, and do what you can to bring about a better world, but grow up and face reality.

Answer 2

Well the Democrats now control Congress. They just passed a 3 trillion dollar budget. And I'll bet dollars to doughnuts it won't balance. I'm not going to say Bush and the war aren't a problem. But there was already a 6 trillion dollar debt when Clinton took office. And ALL of that was Democrat Congress generated. You want us out of Iraq? Well so do I. What are your Democrats doing about it? Do you know why we are spending money on exports? It's because there isn't an alternative! We can't spend money at home if home doesn't have anything to sell. We won't spend money at home when what's made here is of lesser quality and more expensive than what you buy overseas. Where are the Congressional solutions? That is where the solutions will have to start IF you want government to do something. The solutions won't start in the White House. You blame the FED. Well let me give you a clue. No one twisted anyone's arm to buy more house than they could afford. And banks didn't hold guns to people's heads to get them to sign ARM loans. You want more regulation? Why kind? Who are you going to regulate? All this telling people what they can and can't do sounds like more governmental control. When what we really need is more PERSONAL responsibility. If your information is all from Stiglitz, he's not telling the whole story.

Answer 3

The latest estimate I have seen is 387 billion spent on the war. A little over a quarter of a trillion dollars. But definitely money that could be being spent elsewhere. Of course somehow if the money wasn't being spent on the war somehow I doubt it would be going to nobler causes.

Answer 4

You worry about starving children in other countries, what about the children in this country??? Yes, other children in other countries are important but I am sick and tired of hearing on the news about all the bad things that happen to children in the good old USA. We have our issues, children with no food, no health insurance, and children that are being exposed to drugs, porn, alcohol and other things too horrible to mention..

Why not take care of our own country? What have you done lately for a child in this country? What have you done lately for anyone?

On the war, you tell me the last date that we were attacked ON America soil after 9-11? Willie left a mess after he left office. Pres. Bush has had to clean it up! You ask the people that are over there defending our country and they know what their mission is and they don't fall on their sword over it!

Answer 5

We could always reverse our policy of refusing to accept agricultural imports from countries that use DDT. This would save thousands of lives, cost the US taxpayers nothing, and be a recognition that people are more important than the eggs of song birds. Of course that would tick off the enviro-nuts and bird lovers who still think Rachel Carlson wrote the truth in her mythical book Silent Spring. If you really think defending western culture is just a waste of money, I suggest you put on your Burqa, get a cliterodectimy, and enjoy the life you would be allowed to live in Somalia

Answer 6

Three quarters of a trillion dollars? The last I checked it was half a trillion dollars after Congress approved the last war spending bill.

Answer 7

The money is still going to Africa.
And 30 billion more to fight Malaria in Africa, was pledged yesterday.
You are uninformed.

And we still have enough Tax Money to pay for the Democrats who work for the Government, and all the Democrats that are on Welfare.
clap clap clap.

Answer 8

Oh what the U.S. taxpayer could do with the money that's wasted, we also spend trillions on looking good, think about it.

Answer 9

Well, we could continue to fund local warlords with foreign aid or set people free from tyranny.

Actually, we can do both. And we do.

We send billions of dollars to fund your favorite bloodthirsty local warlord (who promises to share it with his starving, AIDS ravaged people) AND we can fund a war to set people free.

Ain't American grand?

Answer 10

You are right, an incredible amount of money that could have been used to do so much good. You have a very paranoid government.