The US spends nearly half of all dollars spent for defense in the entire world. Matt Ygelsias has a useful chart showing world wide defense spending at this link. This huge and disproportionate spending reduces the ability of the US to compete internationally and takes away money from things like providing health care to our citizens.
Military spending is the corporate equivalent of welfare. It does not produce the capacity to create more wealth. If the same money were invested ...
... in medical technologies or environmentally friendly technologies, it would pay diviends in the future. Other people would want to buy those technologies. Buying a tank or F22 fighter plane does increase our ability to produce goods and services. As Ygelsias says,Just recall that every unnecessary dollar spent on defense is a dollar that can’t be invested productively. Spending too much year after year after year leaves American living standards much lower than they otherwise could be.
I'm all for defending the country but the next highest spenders are the European Union (our closest allies) and China (our biggest trading partner). It isn't clear to me where the threat comes from that requires this huge expenditure.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Guns and health care
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18 comments:
you are a loon!
The postings on the recent blogs here seem to be bringing out all the nastiness again.
Benefit bash for 4 year old Braiden Norton, who has a brain tumor will be held from this Friday 6-midnight at seaport inn on rte.6...tickets 25 bucks...100% of proceeds offset Braiden's costs..(ANOTHER REASON why we need health care reform)..please help out this little boy!!! Insurance WILL NOTcover all costs...WHAT DO WE PAY THESE INSURANCE COMPANIES FOR!!! contact 508-758-4525 for information
Military spending is the corporate equivalent of welfare.
Way off the mark on this one. I understand you want healthcare and I understand SOME of your reasons.
Now you want to disarm the United States leaving us vulnerable to attack. Did your little chart also show we have been at war with 2 countries for the last 7 years, raising the cost of paying for defense?
The more I read what you write, the more I honestly believe you are at the very least a Socialist, and possibly a communist.
Very disappointing Bill.
Vulnerable from attack from whom? What is the threat that requires $711 billion for defense? As I pointed out the next two highest spenders are our allies in Europe and China our largest trading partner. Reducing defense spending by $100 billion would pay for health care for everyone, increase spending for schools, alternative energy, and many other things that would make our country more competitive in world markets.
Don't even get me started on why we are at war in two countries for the past 7 years.
I would describe my political philosophy as liberal and progressive, with some libertarian and anarchist traits. I believe that government should serve the people and I am suspicious of the power of the state. Basically I feel people should band together to provide for the common good (schools, roads, health care) and be free to believe and act as they choose without interference or intrusion from the state as long as they do not interfere or intrude on the rights of others. I think that these views are consistent with the founding principles of our nation, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Take a look at this presentation on our defense spending. Notice that the defense spending number has nearly doubled in a few short years.
What would Thomas Jefferson say about Universal Healthcare?
"The care of human life and happiness,not their destruction,is the first and only legitimate object of good government." --Thomas Jefferson
attack from whom?? Honestly Bill have you forgotten about a handful of extremists that cost America half a trillion dollars?
There are many who are licking their lips waiting for us to downsize our military so they can attack us. Do you remember what happened after WW1?
As a percentage of its GDP, the United States spends 4.06% on military, ranking it 28th in the world. This is higher by percent than France's 2.6%, and lower than Saudi Arabia's 10%[5]. This 3.7% is low relative to the United States' past 60-some years.[6]
Also, since it is an all-volunteer force and since most jobs within it require high degrees of technical skill and personnel retention, the United States armed forces have dramatically higher personnel costs, both military and civilian, compared to the militaries of countries which use conscription, many of which have far more troops than the United States. However, only China has more standing troops than the United States.
I know you wish life was as easy as watching ben and jerry throwing cookies around. The truth is it is much more difficult than that.
It is worth every penny of the 400-500 billion per year. We lost more than that in one attack on our country.
The September 11 attacks inflicted casualties and material damages on a far greater scale than any other terrorist aggression in recent history. Lower Manhattan lost approximately 30 percent of its office space and a number of businesses ceased to exist. Close to 200,000 jobs were destroyed or relocated out of New York City, at least temporarily. The destruction of physical assets was estimated in the national accounts to amount to $14 billion for private businesses, $1.5 billion for state and local government enterprises and $0.7 billion for federal enterprises. Rescue, cleanup and related costs have been estimated to amount to at least $11 billion for a total direct cost of $27.2 billion.
Immediate and Short Term Indirect Impacts
Immediately after the attacks, leading forecast services sharply revised downward their projections of economic activity. The consensus forecast for U.S. real GDP growth was instantly downgraded by 0.5 percentage points for 2001 and 1.2 percentage points for 2002. The implied projected cumulative loss in national income through the end of 2003 amounted to 5 percentage points of annual GDP, or half a trillion dollars.
Well said Anon, Aug. 4, 10:02PM. Bill is a communist. Until he personally feels the impact of such an attack, he will never understand.
He needs to see this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdznv9Q6o9s
Enjoy it and give some respect.
I can't wait to vote you out of office. What a mistake we made.
Anon 10:08 Which extremists are you talking about? Bush / Cheney? They were the cause of 911. By Sept 11 Bush had spent nearly as much time on vacation as in the White House.
You are no patriot - you are a fearful little man lacking courage and any other moral American trait.
You can't even identify yourself, you are a wimp - and I feel sorry for you - you will never be more than a worthless tool.
Read up on Joseph McCarthy, another name caller who no one respects.
Did you run for office with all your big ideas on the American way? NO you are not even entertaining the idea that anyone would listen, cause no one does listen to you, not your spouse, not your kids, and you probably KICK YOUR DOG TO GET HIM TO LISTEN. Identify yourself - or just use the monicker - "WIMP"
Amazing you want to spend my tax money on war and all I want is a little health care, which our system DENIES my participation.
I think you are the terrorist. Iraq was fake war! Have you been paying attention?
Vulnerable to attack?
The F22 can't fly in rain. The osprey can't fly at all! Humvees aren't armored. The military is the most wasteful government program of all time, by far. We spend more than all other countries combined. And we can't defeat two countries full of some some stone age freaks.
I see pics of US soldiers w body armor, night vision goggles and video cameras on there helmets I don't know to laugh or cry. they are Goliaths being killed daily by modern day Davids.
You complain about spending money for providing healthcare to AMERICANS? - you call that Communism? It would make you feel better to kill people in other countries? You have a sick mind!
All those children without healthcare - they are just lazy? they are the #1 uninsured- why do you think there have been so many entitlements passed in the last 20 years?
I hope enlightenment for you - but you are sick, good luck, in my mind you are far closer to Al Qaida then any American than I chose to associate with.
You my wimpy adversary are no better than the Unionist during our own revolution.
If you think I am angry, you had better believe it. You fear everyone, I fear no one. Who is the real American?
James, now that is really an identifier. If you feel so strongly about anonymous posting sign your whole name.
I offered an opinion and you start with personal attacks, you sir are the real wimp.
Perhaps your meds are off, or maybe you not having insurance prevents you from obtaining the very medications you obviously desperately need. Good luck with that.
Your 9-11 conspiracy theories are the ramblings of a desperate man/wimp.
You said. The military is the most wasteful government program of all time, by far. We spend more than all other countries combined.
In actuality we rank 28th in terms of Military spending related to GDP. I know those are big numbers for you to understand, perhaps some prescription glasses would help with your math skills when you can afford them.
You also said...If you think I am angry, you had better believe it. You fear everyone, I fear no one. Who is the real American?
My retort is simple, while you were blogging about being American, I spent over 8 years defending your right to call me wimp? How's that shoe taste James? You make take it out of your mouth now.
You complain about spending money for providing healthcare to AMERICANS? - you call that Communism?
When the money is stolen from the providers and GIVEN to the slackers YES I CALL THAT COMMUNISM.
You complain about spending money for providing healthcare to AMERICANS? - you call that Communism?
When the money is stolen from the providers and GIVEN to the slackers YES I CALL THAT COMMUNISM.
James the "brave" here is your profile.
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For someone not afraid of anyone why would you HIDE your profile. You are a coward too.
The care of human life and happiness,not their destruction,is the first and only legitimate object of good government." --Thomas Jefferson
Is that the very same man that said this? "Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have!!" Thomas Jefferson
“Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have … The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.” - President Thomas Jefferson
I think the government needs to take a step in restriciting health insurance companies from picking and choosing who they deny coverage to. If we as the American people pay for health insurance we should have full coverage. you wouldn't like it so much if your house burns down and your insurance tells you they aren't paying for the house because of pre-existing bad wiring.
I contend that anon is a pathetic wimp.
He fears giving healthcare to Americans.
I have no healthcare, i should not fight wimps like you?
that would be un American.
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