Why is the US military budget like 350 billion dollars ?

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: smp

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Vortex Sure, we could erradicate poverty in the country. But how would we defend ourselves? Some other country sees us with no millitary and were done with.

Like they did to Canada, right?

Canada doesn't need to spend a lot on their military, they're sitting right on top of the world's most powerful nation. We have a good 30% of their borders covered for them, we're treaty members with them (NATO), and they're our neighbors. I don't mind them benefitting from our military presence, but the fact is they've got themselves a damn good deal. Viper GTS

YEAH THE ONLY REASON THAT NO ONE FVCKS WITH US IS BECAUSE OF THE ALMIGHTY U.S!!
Thank you!
Please bend over so I can kiss your ass now! Thanks!

Shut up!
There are plenty of countries, in Europe and elsewhere, believe it or not, that have even LESS of a military than Canada, and they don't get fvcked with either.
How the hell do you explain that?!?

Geographic location? (Iceland, Switzerland, Nepal..) Lack of desirable natural resources? The fact that Europe has been relatively peaceful for the last 60 years since WWII?

 

[smp]

Originally posted by: Astaroth33

Originally posted by: smp

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: Vortex Sure, we could erradicate poverty in the country. But how would we defend ourselves? Some other country sees us with no millitary and were done with.

Like they did to Canada, right?

Canada doesn't need to spend a lot on their military, they're sitting right on top of the world's most powerful nation. We have a good 30% of their borders covered for them, we're treaty members with them (NATO), and they're our neighbors. I don't mind them benefitting from our military presence, but the fact is they've got themselves a damn good deal. Viper GTS

YEAH THE ONLY REASON THAT NO ONE FVCKS WITH US IS BECAUSE OF THE ALMIGHTY U.S!! Thank you! Please bend over so I can kiss your ass now! Thanks! Shut up! There are plenty of countries, in Europe and elsewhere, believe it or not, that have even LESS of a military than Canada, and they don't get fvcked with either. How the hell do you explain that?!?

Geographic location? (Iceland, Switzerland, Nepal..) Lack of desirable natural resources? The fact that Europe has been relatively peaceful for the last 60 years since WWII?

And war has been raging in North American for the last 60 years?
What ever happened to 'globalization' .. to the concept of UNITED nations?
There are reasons that international bodies exist. The world does not need the U.S to keep it safe, and many people throughout see it as a threat.

 

[shiner]

I agree that we need an army, but do we really need an army that is so much bigger than everybody elses. Wouldn't it be better to
use more diplomacy and get more help from other countries when dealing with world wide problems.

Yeah diplomacy always works.......just ask Neville Chamberlain or look at how well it's worked on Iraq since the end of the Gulf War.

Globalization? That's a great idea to. Why don't we just surrender all out sovereignty to some international body and let them make all our decisions for us. Personally I'm a big fan of this site

 

[NOX]

Originally posted by: skibum827

Originally posted by: morkinva
Thats billion with a b - each year. This is where your tax dollars are going. An amount of money that is really quite incomprehensible. It dwarfs amounts spent on welfare, education and healthcare. We could eradicate poverty in this country. We could do so much more -- how stupid of us.

Well, with the biggest army, we can tell the UN to go to h@!! if they don't agree with us on what to do with Iraq. Because we have the biggest army, who is going to stop us?

It costs a lot of money to be the biggest bully on the playground in this day and age.

I agree that we need an army, but do we really need an army that is so much bigger than everybody elses. Wouldn't it be better to use more diplomacy and get more help from other countries when dealing with world wide problems.

Quick fact: US does not have the biggest Army. China does, they are 2.5 million strong.

However this is not to suggest they are the best, in fact it is the opposite. A lot of their equipment is very out dated. It's no secret the US has the best Army in the world due to cutting edge technology, training etc., that's what separates us from the other countries.

Sorry just wanted to point out that we are not the ?biggest?.

 

[Aceman]

You guys that are bitching about 350 billion should maybe actually serve in the military to realize that we still have huge constraints. Hell, most of you in the corporate world take for granted being sent to LA or Chicago or NYC on a business trip. I still worry if the powers that be will fund my trip 3 hours away and if I can afford to stay in a Super 8 that night. If you saw what they actually spent on personnel issues, you'd realize we need another 50 billion to run efficiently. In reality, the military budget has been way to tight for the past 10-15 years.

 

[JellyBaby]

In reality, the military budget has been way to tight for the past 10-15 years.

Because the military has been expected to do more with less and that's a "challenge" to be PC. There should have been an equivalent cut in the post-Cold War mission to match the cut in machinery and manpower.

That's the trouble with bureaucrats -- once they grow something to extremes, it's so very hard to get them to streamline again.

 

[Mookow]

Originally posted by: morkinva
Thats billion with a b - each year. This is where your tax dollars are going. An amount of money that is really quite incomprehensible. It dwarfs amounts spent on welfare, education and healthcare. We could eradicate poverty in this country. We could do so much more -- how stupid of us.

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell

Now quit whining that you want a discount.