Corporate welfare helps people who have jobs. Gubment welfare helps people who do not want to get jobs.

The purpose of our military spending is to have a military so strong and devastating that no one will challenge us. And I for one agree and like being the big dog on the block. All this other shit you think we should spend money on would be irrelavant if we did not have the worlds strongest army that could provide sevurity just by its existence. It protects us everyday even if it were never used just because of the fact it scares the shit out of other countries. If we listened to your pussy ass philosphy the russians would have won the cold war and you wouldnt even be free to say your idiotic comments here.

Well, Eric, this is one reason.

Oh yeah, lets just pull back in our shell and pretend nothing is out there that can hurt us.... (Isolationism, pre WWII)

OK, lets send YOU out there with a stick to battle the terrorists that have tread upon our country's soil to do us harm. Aww, wait a minute, that's not fair. Make it a flintlock. How many kids do you think you'd have after you're dead? (Not trying to rial you man, just trying making a point) Which is... If we have to fight, why not have the means to do it without getting ourselves killed? Oh, not you in particular, just those other dwebs that joined up to protect your freedoms. Did you ever think how many fathers/mothers or fathers/mothers-to-be might be saved by that? Those guys and gals that are out there protecting your freedom to drive your BMW all over this fine country?

Granted, it will always require actual soldiers to take and hold ground. But with today's tech the opposition holding that ground can pretty much be eradicated before our soldiers ever set foot on it. If the funds for that tech are provided. Thus saving lives and "children". The children spawned by some of our most outstanding American citizens that are willing to put their life on the line for your freedom, as well as their own.

And NO, I would not feel safe living in a mafia leader's house. No more safe than I would have felt living in Saddam's house. But I feel pretty safe living in my own house in the USA :D. Thanks to the diligence of our military forces supported by ME. There is strength used for good and strength used for bad. I feel the United States uses it's strength primarily for the good of all people. Even the lazy SOB's on welfare. And the people of Iraq we're trying to help right now.

Look at WWII. We had to fight two wars. One against the Germans, the other against Japan. What if our military budget was only 10% of what it was at the time. Do you think we'd be here now? We helped Britain, France, Holland, China, the Philippines, Burma, and a lot more countries. (Geez, I'd need a world map...) Did we do this to take over their countries? No. Was it in the best interest for world peace? Yes.

As for the infant mortality rate, what difference would it make if we were not here at all? Sitting back on our laurals waiting for the terrorists to nuke us doesn't seem like a good alternative to me. They have it out for us and falling back is just a sign of weakness to them which gives them all the more encouragement to press their attack on YOU.

I must relent a little bit here and agree that healthcare costs are way to high. But throwing more money into the pot isn't going to help that situation. (I hate to use this acronym, but...) IMO, our high costs for healthcare stem from the idiot judges that we elected who have ruled in favor of bogus malpractice lawsuits which have driven up the cost of our doctor's insurance so high that the average person can no longer afford adequate healthcare insurance.

In the words of Forest Gump: "That's all I have to say about that".

:rofl: You've got me laughing so hard... :bustingup

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :iagree:

Just one of the many services I provide... :rofl:

Eric likes to compare everything to the Third Reich - I think a humorous (/sarcastic) comparison can be much better received, and gets people more receptive to at least thinking about it.

I wonder how much it costs for that larger Air Force jet Pelosi needs to fly back and forth non-stop from San Fran to D.C.? Too bad that money can't be used on improving the quality of healthcare in this country...:rolleyes:

Don't get me started on the enviromental damage that these politicians and their Gulfstreams cause relative to less "flashy" modes of transport... (:hijack: )

You're right, I don't see anyone politician of any stripe complaining about that, or the Secret Service protection.

I wonder where North Korea would fall on that chart??

I'm probably gonna catch a boatload of flak for this, but I'm still saying it... it may be cruel and sound very coldhearted, but I feel some of those babies that pass before their first birthday are better off than the possible scenarios they'd be living in. Again, I say some, not all, not half... some. It's just speculation and not all born into bad situations turn out with a bad life, but some are probably much better off before they know any better.

As for military spending, have a blast but keep it reasonable. I want the U.S. to be top dog when it comes to military powers. The technology that comes from it blows my mind too... like Rebound said, shows like Futre Weapons, Mail Call, Wings... all just the tip of the iceburg. Also, let's not forget that some of the technology that comes from the military is adopted by state and local police forces.

As for the budget, it kept me employed for 5 years, and it's still going strong... 5 BILLION dollar project over ~7 years to modernize the business systems within the Defense Logistics Agency... an Agency which falls under the DoD and defense budget... the agency that ensures our troops are supplied with the right BDUs, food, medicine, etc... Yeah, spend properly, get it done right... I'd hate for our soldiers in Iraq to show up wearing forest bdus cause of a crappy system. Oh, and the reason it cost so much, SAP isn't cheap to implement or run... and they're German if you didn't know, not American based.

Now, welfare, when is enough already... I think it was Clinton that was making the right steps to get people off welfare with the welfare reform proposed years ago. I don't like paying taxes for people to sit on their butt... I don't mind paying taxes to be able to kick butt. Healthcare reform and education would be nice too :)