We should rid ourselves of redundant Federal Bureaucracies...and use the money more wisely.

[Tommy Tainant]

Isn't it already determined?

2% of GDP.

When President Trump made it an issue, very few countries were meeting the expectation.

But since then there have been vast increases.

Nato: Which countries are paying their fair share on defence?

The alliance expects each member nation to spend at least 2% of its gross domestic product on defence, but plenty are falling short.

www.forces.net

The US has been bombing the middle east for years. But europe picks up the pieces and deals with the fallout. Add that to the ledger.

 

[Missourian]

The US has been bombing the middle east for years. But europe picks up the pieces and deals with the fallout. Add that to the ledger.

Always an excuse from the mouchers.

Next you'll tell us you can't pay because your car broke down, your mum's in hospital and you robbed by hooligans.

Don't care about you excuses.

We're not underwriting your defense anymore. You can pay, or we're out.

 

[Clipper]

Any department that is mirrored by a state level department is redundant and should be dismantled, starting with the Department of Education.

I'm sure once upon a time this agency was established with the best intentions...but now it's time to return these duties and responsibilities back to the States.

We should be using these wasted funds for something NOT redundant. Perhaps a federally funded Innocence Project that reviews the cases of convicted criminals to combat miscarriages of justice like this one...

https://people.com/sandra-hemme-woman-conviction-murder-overturned-judge-believes-cop-did-it-8664950

But money is not unlimited. We need to end redundancy and put part of the savings to better use.

Just think! They can use the money saved to cut taxes for uber wealthy oligarchs & corporate cronies who Trump is whoring himself out to right now for campaign cash.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Isn't it already determined?

2% of GDP.

And who is it that determined this?

 

[Missourian]

And who is it that determined this?

And who is it that determined this?

Sorry, I thought I provided the link for that.

Here it is...

Funding NATO

NATO is resourced through the direct and indirect contributions of its members. NATO’s common funds are composed of direct contributions to collective budgets and programmes, which equate to only 0.3% of total Allied defence spending (around EUR 3.27 billion for 2023). These funds enable NATO to...

www.nato.int

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Sorry, I thought I provided the link for that.

Here it is...

Funding NATO

NATO is resourced through the direct and indirect contributions of its members. NATO’s common funds are composed of direct contributions to collective budgets and programmes, which equate to only 0.3% of total Allied defence spending (around EUR 3.27 billion for 2023). These funds enable NATO to...

www.nato.int

So, it is just a guideline and not an actual rule. Interesting, I did not know that.

The 2% defence investment guideline

In 2006, NATO Defence Ministers agreed to commit a minimum of 2% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to defence spending to continue to ensure the Alliance's military readiness. This guideline also serves as an indicator of a country's political will to contribute to NATO's common defence efforts, since the defence capacity of each member has an impact on the overall perception of the Alliance's credibility as a politico-military organisation.

 

[Missourian]

So, it is just a guideline and not an actual rule. Interesting, I did not know that.

The 2% defence investment guideline

In 2006, NATO Defence Ministers agreed to commit a minimum of 2% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to defence spending to continue to ensure the Alliance's military readiness. This guideline also serves as an indicator of a country's political will to contribute to NATO's common defence efforts, since the defence capacity of each member has an impact on the overall perception of the Alliance's credibility as a politico-military organisation.

If it's just a guideline and not a rule...we could reduce our contribution to zero and not be in violation of any treaty.

Or better yet...we can reduce our contribution to equal the lowest member state contribution by percent of GDP.

That seems fair.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

If it's just a guideline and not a rule...we could reduce our contribution to zero and not be in violation of any treaty.

Or better yet...we can reduce our contribution to equal the lowest member state contribution.

That seems fair.

I am down.

I would love to see the US drop the amount spent on its military way below the 3.2% we are now spending.

Since that is what the 2% rule is about, how much each country spends on its own military.

 

[Missourian]

I am down.

I would love to see the US drop the amount spent on its military way below the 3.2% we are now spending.

Since that is what the 2% rule is about, how much each country spends on its own military.

I'm good with that.

Let Europe take care of Europe.

Did you read the part where Europe's combined GDP rivals the USA.

They have the means to defend themselves.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

I'm good with that.

Let Europe take care of Europe.

Did you read the part where Europe's combined GDP rivals the USA.

They have the means to defend themselves.

100%.

Close all our base in Europe and bring those troops home. But we won't because they are not there to defend Europe, they are there to give us influence over those countries.

They are just fine as they are, the UE could repel an attack from any nation that is a threat to them.

Russia has shown its military to be nothing but a paper tiger

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

What does the federal department of education do that can't be handled by the state level department of education?

The Education Department was created to ensure state departments of education were actually performing their duty to educate all students, regardless of special needs, handicaps, or race. Many states were either completely ignoring special education students or underfunding minorities and poor students.

To do anything else would be letting the fox guard the henhouse.

 

[Missourian]

Russia has shown its military to be nothing but a paper tiger

Embarrassingly so.

I would have bet folding money on Russia dominating Ukraine the way we dominated Iraq during Desert Storm.

But my perception was tainted by knowledge of Cold War Soviet Order of Battle.

How the mighty have fallen.

Unfortunately we're going to deficit spend our way into oblivion just like the Soviets did.

 

[Missourian]

The Education Department was created to ensure state departments of education were actually performing their duty to educate all students, regardless of special needs, handicaps, or race. Many states were either completely ignoring special education students or underfunding minorities and poor students.

To do anything else would be letting the fox guard the henhouse.

I think even if that were the case 45 years ago, we've put that in the rear view mirror today, just as we have so separate but unequal.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

No.

The Pentagon is as fucked up and wasteful as HHS.....You could cut their budget in half, bring all the troops home and give them raises, and there'd be no degradation of preparedness.

Bringing our troops home is asinine. The reason they are there is to provide an instant response should any other country get out of line. We have troops in Korea to prevent NK from invading. The same can be said for Poland to keep the Russians quiet in regard to NATO. Our military stationed in Japan does the same for China in regard to Taiwan. Who else would there be to bring home?

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Unfortunately we're going to deficit spend our way into oblivion just like the Soviets did.

Sad but true, and nobody that has a chance to win in Nov will do anything to slow down even.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

I think even if that were the case 45 years ago, we've put that in the rear view mirror today, just as we have so separate but unequal.

Louisiana is trying to return education to the dark ages as we speak. They were one of the worst offenders in the 50s and 60s that led to the Education Department being created.

 

[Missourian]

Louisiana is trying to return education to the dark ages as we speak. They were one of the worst offenders in the 50s and 60s that led to the Education Department being created.

By adding the 10 commandments to classrooms?

I think you're overreacting.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Why do you think we're providing weapons to Ukraine?

Get rid of the stockpiles so we can keep the military contractors in business replenishing the supply.

Hard to keep the machinery of weapons production churning with no wars to justify the expenditures.

Most of those stockpiles were obsolete and soon to be expired weapons systems. That is one of the main reasons the Russians struggled early in the war because their weapons systems were old and failed. Their aircraft were easily shot down because they were ancient, and the pilots were poorly trained.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

By adding the 10 commandments to classrooms?

I think you're overreacting.

It was ruled unconstitutional to do so in 1980. All this is a moot point already. The federal courts will simply declare it unconstitutional based on precedent, something the media is conveniently ignoring for some reason. Kentucky tried to do the exact same thing and the courts overruled the state law in 1980.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

I'm hoping pres. Trump pushes for the defunding of both the Dept. Of Education & the EPA. Education can be left up to each independent state regarding both state financed schooling as well as privately funded & operated schools. As far as the environment goes each state will set their own agenda for their air & turf sans federal property. Interstate waterways(rivers) would be monitored by the feds "Interstate River Agency" or "IRA". Off shore saltwater would remain in the jurisdiction of our U.S. Coast Guard.

You are so stupid you don't realize the Coast Guard already does inland waters?