2014 study: 63% of non-citizen households used welfare programs. 50% of those are illegals.

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Alpha One Seven

Golden Member
Sep 11, 2017
1,098
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Why are the democrats so defensive? Is it because they lost the presidential election still? Get over it already and become one nation under God again.
 
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Alpha One Seven

Golden Member
Sep 11, 2017
1,098
124
66
Dude, half the budget goes towards Military spending. Do we really that much in order to defend ourselves?
Military spending includes: all regular activities of the Department of Defense; war spending; nuclear weapons spending; international military assistance; and other Pentagon-related spending.
So, no. We can do without international military assistance to other countries.
 

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,189
14,114
136

We're 5% of the world's population and our military spending is 36% of the world's military spending. According to that basic math, we could cut our defense spending by 85% and we'd be average in defense spending per capita. Yet we spend as much as the next 7 highest spending nations combined. We also spend 2.2x what China and Russia together spend.

And all that is based on 2016 numbers when our spending was $611 billion. It's now up to $731 billion.

Please explain why all this is necessary.
 

nickqt

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2015
7,695
8,095
136
We're 5% of the world's population and our military spending is 36% of the world's military spending. According to that basic math, we could cut our defense spending by 85% and we'd be average in defense spending per capita. Yet we spend as much as the next 7 highest spending nations combined. We also spend 2.2x what China and Russia together spend.

And all that is based on 2016 numbers when our spending was $611 billion. It's now up to $731 billion.

Please explain why all this is necessary.
Defense spending is a euphemism for Empire spending.

If we were just spending money on the military to protect us from the entire rest of the world, we'd need a fraction of what is currently spent.

But the "defense" budget is actually an Imperial Military budget, which is always going to be out-of-whack compared to what is essential defense spending. Always has, and always will, for every single military Empire since time began until time ends. Empires require the hollowing out of the homeland...again, always has, always will.
 

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,358
8,447
126
That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
no one around here has ever tried to claim taxes need to be raised on poors because they don't have any "skin in the game" while ignoring that said poors pay fica. that's totally never happened.
 

Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
11,684
5,222
136
Military spending includes: all regular activities of the Department of Defense; war spending; nuclear weapons spending; international military assistance; and other Pentagon-related spending.
So, no. We can do without international military assistance to other countries.

You do know that the Dept. of Energy is responsible for the nuclear weapon budget and isn't under the DoD budget, right?
 

SlowSpyder

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
17,305
1,001
126
So no one has been able to refute the 63%, 70% numbers. Lots of whining and use of alt facts, lots of tag edits, but nothing of substance. A welfare state with wide open borders will not exist long. This is just one more example of how today's left has jumped the shark. Logical ideas no longer matter, what does matter is trying to stick it to the right and disagreeing just to disagree. No wonder America rejected them and the blue wave was a blue trickle.
 
Nov 25, 2013
32,083
11,718
136
So no one has been able to refute the 63%, 70% numbers. Lots of whining and use of alt facts, lots of tag edits, but nothing of substance. A welfare state with wide open borders will not exist long. This is just one more example of how today's left has jumped the shark. Logical ideas no longer matter, what does matter is trying to stick it to the right and disagreeing just to disagree. No wonder America rejected them and the blue wave was a blue trickle.

One loves to see little trolls playing in the straw. It's so cute.
 
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Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
4,266
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Military spending includes: all regular activities of the Department of Defense; war spending; nuclear weapons spending; international military assistance; and other Pentagon-related spending.
So, no. We can do without international military assistance to other countries.

Well there's a great plan, really. The EU can put us on their enemies list as you and Trump wish, and nuke up with a program that rivals or surpasses the US/Russia. Then they can eliminate military bases and look at you like they look at Putin, with good cause.

But I'm with Trump, the military budget is too big to be "regular". Cut the bloat and overcapacity by 1 to2 hundred billion and fund the development and deployment of zero carbon energy by 2030-2035. Hold the patents and license it at no cost with severe IP limitations so companies can't sue the hell out of each other and release it via some kind of GNU way to the entire world.

Yep, that's a great idea you have. Of course one might be like Trump and say "I don't care, I won't be around when it happens", which I pretty much expect.

You are inspiring when you have a mind.
 

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
4,266
126
So no one has been able to refute the 63%, 70% numbers. Lots of whining and use of alt facts, lots of tag edits, but nothing of substance. A welfare state with wide open borders will not exist long. This is just one more example of how today's left has jumped the shark. Logical ideas no longer matter, what does matter is trying to stick it to the right and disagreeing just to disagree. No wonder America rejected them and the blue wave was a blue trickle.

Just relax like your Dear Leader. He's not worried.
 

DrunkenSano

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2008
3,892
490
126
Against whom?

China is actually a pretty big threat with how fast and forceful they have been expanding in Asia. The South China Seas is something that is rarely talked about in the US News and it's a major issue as China continues to take over international waters, claiming it for their own. It'll become a major threat to international shipping and is evolving into a military stronghold for China as they create man-made islands and build military bases on them.

I do agree that there are many places where we can drastically cut our military spending. I think we should stop dumping useless dollars into the Middle East. They do not want us there, we do not want us there, just get the hell out of the Middle East. The right places to spend the money is supporting the defense of our European allies and our Asian allies. The extra money should be put elsewhere in our budget for our own people back home.
 
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fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
85,632
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That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Yes it does, illegal immigrants pay vastly more into Medicare and social security than they take out, meaning they are paying taxes for services they will never get.

Conservatives usually limit discussion of who pays what percentage to income taxes because if you look at all taxes it’s impossible to justify more tax cuts for the rich. Similarly here, we should look at money in as compared to money out. CIS does not do this because they are nativist propaganda trying to pretend to be actual research.

They are lying to you and they think you are stupid. Don’t justify their opinion by falling for their scam.
 
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Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
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Yes it does, illegal immigrants pay vastly more into Medicare and social security than they take out, meaning they are paying taxes for services they will never get.

Conservatives usually limit discussion of who pays what percentage to income taxes because if you look at all taxes it’s impossible to justify more tax cuts for the rich. Similarly here, we should look at money in as compared to money out. CIS does not do this because they are nativist propaganda trying to pretend to be actual research.

They are lying to you and they think you are stupid. Don’t justify their opinion by falling for their scam.

Fun fact- immigrants of any status who receive aid as children grow up to use LESS resources than the general population as adults.
 
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fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
85,632
50,853
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Fun fact- immigrants of any status who receive aid as children grow up to use LESS resources than the general population as adults.

Another fun fact, the US relies on immigration as our birth rate is currently at sub-replacement level, meaning we will be facing declining resources for those older people as they come to rely on an ever-shrinking working age population. Just when we really need a huge influx of immigrants we have a political party that has gone insane and decided the best way to do it is wall ourselves off and slowly wither.
 
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SlowSpyder

Lifer
Jan 12, 2005
17,305
1,001
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No one is against immigration. Illegal immigration is another story. I love that we're a melting pot. I don't like giving illegals my tax dollars, though. And this thread proves that is happening way too much.
 

blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
22,902
2,359
126
We're 5% of the world's population and our military spending is 36% of the world's military spending. According to that basic math, we could cut our defense spending by 85% and we'd be average in defense spending per capita. Yet we spend as much as the next 7 highest spending nations combined. We also spend 2.2x what China and Russia together spend.

And all that is based on 2016 numbers when our spending was $611 billion. It's now up to $731 billion.

Please explain why all this is necessary.

You explain this thinking all the other countries have the technology we have. They dont.

That said, as Ive said in several other threads through the years, I'd be all for a 10-15% cut across the board for military, were it to placed wisely.