Americans have had over 200 years to prove democracy can work, but...

[Blues Man]

Only Sheep Need Shepherds

Government is a necessary evil and both government and politicians need to be on a very short leash with a choke chain

 

[Votto]

Please read and logically dispute the following.


America is a stratocracy, a form of government dominated by the military. It is axiomatic among the two ruling parties that there must be a constant preparation for war. The war machine’s massive budgets are sacrosanct. Its billions of dollars in waste and fraud are ignored. Its military fiascos in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East have disappeared into the vast cavern of historical amnesia. This amnesia, which means there is never accountability, licenses the war machine to economically disembowel the country and drive the Empire into one self-defeating conflict after another. The militarists win every election. They cannot lose. It is impossible to vote against them. The war state is a Götterdämmerung, as Dwight Macdonald writes, “without the gods.”
America is a stratocracy, a form of government dominated by the military. It is axiomatic among the two ruling parties that there must be a constant preparation for war. The war machine’s massive budgets are sacrosanct. Its billions of dollars in waste and fraud are ignored. Its military fiascos in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East have disappeared into the vast cavern of historical amnesia. This amnesia, which means there is never accountability, licenses the war machine to economically disembowel the country and drive the Empire into one self-defeating conflict after another. The militarists win every election. They cannot lose. It is impossible to vote against them. The war state is a Götterdämmerung, as Dwight Macdonald writes, “without the gods.”
Since the end of the Second World War, the federal government has spent more than half its tax dollars on past, current and future military operations. It is the largest single sustaining activity of the government. Military systems are sold before they are produced with guarantees that huge cost overruns will be covered. Foreign aid is contingent on buying U.S. weapons. Egypt, which receives some $1.3 billion in foreign military financing, is required to devote it to buying and maintaining U.S. weapons systems. Israel has received $158 billion in bilateral assistance from the U.S. since 1949, almost all of it since 1971 in the form of military aid, with most of it going towards arms purchases from U.S. weapons manufacturers. The American public funds the research, development and building of weapons systems and then buys these same weapons systems on behalf of foreign governments. It is a circular system of corporate welfare.
Between October 2021 and September 2022, the U.S. spent $877 billion on the military, that’s more than the next 10 countries, including China, Russia, Germany, France and the United Kingdom combined. These huge military expenditures, along with the rising costs of a for-profit healthcare system, have driven the U.S. national debt to over $31 trillion, nearly $5 trillion more than the U.S.’s entire Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This imbalance is not sustainable, especially once the dollar is no longer the world’s reserve currency.

Both Wilson and FDR centralized government to create world conquering war machines.

But could the US survive without doing so when you had the same type of governments doing it abroad that threatened them?

I guess the moral of the lesson is, fear becoming what you are fighting.

 

[Dragonlady]

Please read and logically dispute the following.


America is a stratocracy, a form of government dominated by the military. It is axiomatic among the two ruling parties that there must be a constant preparation for war. The war machine’s massive budgets are sacrosanct. Its billions of dollars in waste and fraud are ignored. Its military fiascos in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East have disappeared into the vast cavern of historical amnesia. This amnesia, which means there is never accountability, licenses the war machine to economically disembowel the country and drive the Empire into one self-defeating conflict after another. The militarists win every election. They cannot lose. It is impossible to vote against them. The war state is a Götterdämmerung, as Dwight Macdonald writes, “without the gods.”
America is a stratocracy, a form of government dominated by the military. It is axiomatic among the two ruling parties that there must be a constant preparation for war. The war machine’s massive budgets are sacrosanct. Its billions of dollars in waste and fraud are ignored. Its military fiascos in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East have disappeared into the vast cavern of historical amnesia. This amnesia, which means there is never accountability, licenses the war machine to economically disembowel the country and drive the Empire into one self-defeating conflict after another. The militarists win every election. They cannot lose. It is impossible to vote against them. The war state is a Götterdämmerung, as Dwight Macdonald writes, “without the gods.”
Since the end of the Second World War, the federal government has spent more than half its tax dollars on past, current and future military operations. It is the largest single sustaining activity of the government. Military systems are sold before they are produced with guarantees that huge cost overruns will be covered. Foreign aid is contingent on buying U.S. weapons. Egypt, which receives some $1.3 billion in foreign military financing, is required to devote it to buying and maintaining U.S. weapons systems. Israel has received $158 billion in bilateral assistance from the U.S. since 1949, almost all of it since 1971 in the form of military aid, with most of it going towards arms purchases from U.S. weapons manufacturers. The American public funds the research, development and building of weapons systems and then buys these same weapons systems on behalf of foreign governments. It is a circular system of corporate welfare.
Between October 2021 and September 2022, the U.S. spent $877 billion on the military, that’s more than the next 10 countries, including China, Russia, Germany, France and the United Kingdom combined. These huge military expenditures, along with the rising costs of a for-profit healthcare system, have driven the U.S. national debt to over $31 trillion, nearly $5 trillion more than the U.S.’s entire Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This imbalance is not sustainable, especially once the dollar is no longer the world’s reserve currency.

I would disagree that military budgets and wars are the sole reason for your deficit and debt. Tax cuts for billionaires in large corporations factor, heavily into both the deficit and the debt. But the idea that military spending as sacrosanct is bang on.

With all of Trump’s discussions around NATO spending, The question I kept asking was “Why do the rest of us need to come to increase our spending? Why doesn’t the USA cut spending to 2% of GDP?

If the USA is going to put “America first” and not act as the worlds policeman in every military skirmish throughout the world, why do you need the world’s largest, best equipped army for in the first place?

The USA is the worlds largest arms dealer. Trump wanted NATO buying weapons because those weapons would manufactured and sold by the USA.

I don’t think the American people realize that the bulk of foreign aid that the US gives to under-developed nations, is actually military equipment and weapons to “defend democracy“. Basically, foreign aid is mostly a large federal subsidy to the American arms industry.

 

[Votto]

I would disagree that military budgets and wars are the sole reason for your deficit and debt. Tax cuts for billionaires in large corporations factor, heavily into both the deficit and the debt. But the idea that military spending as sacrosanct is bang on.

With all of Trump’s discussions around NATO spending, The question I kept asking was “Why do the rest of us need to come to increase our spending? Why doesn’t the USA cut spending to 2% of GDP?

If the USA is going to put “America first” and not act as the worlds policeman in every military skirmish throughout the world, why do you need the world’s largest, best equipped army for in the first place?

The USA is the worlds largest arms dealer. Trump wanted NATO buying weapons because those weapons would manufactured and sold by the USA.

I don’t think the American people realize that the bulk of foreign aid that the US gives to under-developed nations, is actually military equipment and weapons to “defend democracy“. Basically, foreign aid is mostly a large federal subsidy to the American arms industry.

Why does the US Federal government not decrease spending in anything?

Cuz they don't have too.

I feel safer with my wife having my credit card at a mall than I do where my tax dollars are going.

 

[Blues Man]

Why does the US Federal government not decrease spending in anything?

Cuz they don't have too.

I feel safer with my wife having my credit card at a mall than I do where my tax dollars are going.

And what's even worse is that what politicians call a cut in spending is actually only a smaller increase in spending than they wanted

 

[easyt65]

For white male property owners, maybe.

Democrats, better than anyone, have used division to maintain control. Saul Alensky's 'Rules for Radicals' spells it out and Democrats have used the book as a guide.

For decades Democrats have used division, fear-mongering, false promises, and freebies / welfate to keep minorities, for example, voting for them....'a little bit but not enough to matter / make a huge difference'.

Democrats have done a masterful job convincing Americans the enemy is the other party, 'the rich', or each other when the biggest threats are the politicians we are conned into supportong.

Never has this been more obvious than now - so many evil, failed policies ... so many self-serving politicians attacking citizens, wiping out the middle class ... so many exposed as having sold out to the CCP and other adversaries...

As Marx predicted, America is being destroyed from within.

 

[easyt65]

About what? It is as I said. From my German perspective all US-Americans have good reasons to be proud on their army. The problems of the superidiot Donald Trump are not our problems. When your army will leave one day then we will make hopefully a big festival and remember the good old times - which are still existing today.

What 'good ol' days' are those For Germany? When Hitler was rolling across Europe, requiring the US to help save the world from being conquered?

 

[Dragonlady]

Government is a necessary evil and both government and politicians need to be on a very short leash with a choke chain

You have both, but you refuse to use them. It’s called the “election”. You can vote the liars and the grifters out of office, but you keep reading reelecting them. Even worse, you keep, believing the lies and the grifts.

As long as you keep voting for those who are trying to line the pockets of their billionaire donors, and not working on behalf of the American people, you’re going to continue to have problems.

 

[gipper]

I would disagree that military budgets and wars are the sole reason for your deficit and debt. Tax cuts for billionaires in large corporations factor, heavily into both the deficit and the debt. But the idea that military spending as sacrosanct is bang on.

With all of Trump’s discussions around NATO spending, The question I kept asking was “Why do the rest of us need to come to increase our spending? Why doesn’t the USA cut spending to 2% of GDP?

If the USA is going to put “America first” and not act as the worlds policeman in every military skirmish throughout the world, why do you need the world’s largest, best equipped army for in the first place?

The USA is the worlds largest arms dealer. Trump wanted NATO buying weapons because those weapons would manufactured and sold by the USA.

I don’t think the American people realize that the bulk of foreign aid that the US gives to under-developed nations, is actually military equipment and weapons to “defend democracy“. Basically, foreign aid is mostly a large federal subsidy to the American arms industry.

Agreed. Exactly as Hedges stated…
The American public funds the research, development and building of weapons systems and then buys these same weapons systems on behalf of foreign governments. It is a circular system of corporate welfare.

 

[Blues Man]

You have both, but you refuse to use them. It’s called the “election”. You can vote the liars and the grifters out of office, but you keep reading reelecting them. Even worse, you keep, believing the lies and the grifts.

As long as you keep voting for those who are trying to line the pockets of their billionaire donors, and not working on behalf of the American people, you’re going to continue to have problems.

How the fuck do you know I "refuse" to do anything?

And I do not vote for anyone in the corrupt duopoly and haven't in 30 years. Unlike you idiots who keep voting for the 2 parties that have fucked everything up.

 

[Dragonlady]

Democrats, better than anyone, has used division to maintain control. Saul Alensky's 'Rules for Radicals' spells it out abdDemocrats have used the book as a guide.

For decades Democrats have used division, fear-mongering, false promises, and freebies / welfate to keep minorities, for example, voting for them....'a little bit but not enough to matter / make a huge difference'.

Democrats have done a masterful job convincing Americans the enemy is the orher party, 'the rich', or each other when the biggest threats are the politicians we are conned into supportong.

Never has this been more obvious than now - so many evil, failed policies ... so many self-serving politicians attacking citizens, wiping out the middle class ... so many exposed as having sold out to the CCP and other adversaries...

As Marx predicted, America is being destroyed from within.

Once again, sleazy, you demonstrate how willing you are to promote Russian propaganda and disinformation to the posters here, including, praising Putin, at every turn.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re Russian poster or not as long as you were following the Putin party lies and disinformation. You’re certainly not a patriotic American.

 

[SeaMajor7]

Once again, sleazy, you demonstrate how willing you are to promote Russian propaganda and disinformation to the posters here, including, praising Putin, at every turn.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re Russian poster or not as long as you were following the Putin party lies and disinformation. You’re certainly not a patriotic American.

So so tae..

 

[Dragonlady]

Agreed. Exactly as Hedges stated…
The American public funds the research, development and building of weapons systems and then buys these same weapons systems on behalf of foreign governments. It is a circular system of corporate welfare.

But it is not the only source, or even the main source of your deficits and public debt.

Something that this piece you quoted doesn’t state at all, but I have concluded is happening: After you spend all of this money on these fancy new military toys, you just have to use them.

The military buildup under Reagan led directly to the Gulf War under Bush Sr. The continuing military buildup under Clinton, and the success of the gulf war, led directly to the to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Every time there’s a run on gun sales, there’s a spike in gun crime. People are not gonna spend money on things that they’re never gonna use.

 

[gipper]

But it is not the only source, or even the main source of your deficits and public debt.

Something that this piece you quoted doesn’t state at all, but I have concluded is happening: After you spend all of this money on these fancy new military toys, you just have to use them.

The military buildup under Reagan led directly to the Gulf War under Bush Sr. The continuing military buildup under Clinton, and the success of the gulf war, led directly to the to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Every time there’s a run on gun sales, there’s a spike in gun crime. People are not gonna spend money on things that they’re never gonna use.

The US has been at war continuously for most of it’s existence. As you know, war is very costly. These costs have lead to the enormous debt the USG holds. Of course war is not the only reason for this massive debt, but it is the primary reason.

Im not buying your equivalence of private gun sales and massive government military spending. That’s nonsense. Americans have always held lots of firearms. The vast majority of gun owners never harm anyone.

 

[zaangalewa]

What 'good ol' days' are those For Germany? When Hitler was rolling across Europe, requiring the US to help save the world from being conquered?

Undear idiot mine: Germans always loved the USA - a very long time before Hitler came and also after Hitler was gone. Your ally in world war 2 had been Stalin - and your big victory had been that you gave a big part of Europe and Asia to the Russian and Chinese Soviets. What a luck that you never had a problem with your Russian and Chinese friends - but you have a titanic problem with your enemies Germany and Europe.

 

[zaangalewa]

The US has been at war continuously for most of it’s existence. As you know, war is very costly. ...

Example: You doubled your economy with World War 1.

 

[Dragonlady]

Nobody sane would try to force lions and gazelles to cohabitate and nobody sane should have thought a nation with too many different identities could stay united…The great experiment has failed miserably. Our diversity is our demise.

Your analogy could not be more ridiculous. People are varying races, are not a different species, nor do they prey on one another for food.

The human race is all one race. Skin colour is meaningless. Under the skin, we are all the same. That’s fact an biology, whether you choose to believe it or not.

 

[gipper]

Example: You doubled your economy with World War 1.

Means nothing. If you think war enriches a nation, you’re a fool.

 

[Dragonlady]

Example: You doubled your economy with World War 1.

And pull yourself out of the great depression, equipping the allies in World War II.

After World War II, America became wealthy, provisioning, and supplying Europe during the rebuilding phase. But when Europe and Japan, rebuilt their manufacturing capability, they had all the latest, most modern equipment, and they started out-performing the USA, in terms of output and price.

Instead of upgrading their own equipment and infrastructure, you elected Ronald Reagan to eliminate the new deal, and the gains made by labour unions and the middle class.

No, your years behind in infrastructure investment, education, and training your workers for the 21st-century economy. Conservatives are trying to cling to the old ways instead of moving forward. They don’t want to spend the capital needed. I just wanna sit on their asses and collect dividend checks.

Time to invest in the future. Raise taxes on the wealthy, upgrade your infrastructure, and start investing in your people instead of wars, and flying dicks to take you into space.

 

[Dragonlady]

Means nothing. If you think war enriches a nation, you’re a fool.

The USA used both World War I and World War II to enrich their economy. Supplying weapons, munitions and supplies to Europe in World War II Lifted the USA out of the Great Depression.

Fighting wars is a drain on the economy, but supplying them is very profitable venture. You supplied Europe for all 6 years, but you fought in Europe for less than 4 years.

Post-World War II, with all manufacturing in Japan, and Europe, basically bombed into the Stone Age, the USA became the wealthiest nation in the world, supplying the rebuilding effort.