BobStackFan4Life
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2011
- Messages
- 31,661
- Reaction score
- 1,538
It's truly insane what we spend on the military. No one comes close to the amount we spend.
Keep the peace? That is some bullshit right there. I'd like to see military spending cut by about 90%. Fuck being the world's policeman.Our military strength is a big reason why it's not comparable. Could and should spending be cut? Absolutely, but, as ITC and Dented alluded to, someone has to keep the peace.
It's truly insane what we spend on the military. No one comes close to the amount we spend.
According to the Wall Street Journal, “The coordinated Taliban attack destroyed six Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier jump-jets and "significantly" damaged two others, as well as some hangars, the coalition said. The Taliban also destroyed three refueling stations. Harrier jets cost about $30 million to $40 million dollars apiece - for a total in of anywhere between $180- $240 million dollars in damage.
App grads are so cute.
Our military strength is a big reason why it's not comparable. Could and should spending be cut? Absolutely, but, as ITC and Dented alluded to, someone has to keep the peace.
Per Wikipedia, they're all at 1.4-1.5% of GDP, a little less than a third of our rate.
App grads are so cute.
http://travel.yahoo.com/ideas/world...a4d6-bc1f03e823d2&bcmt_s=u#ugccmt-container-b
The top four on the list have several things in common: lots of socialist programs, strong safety nets....and very little military spending.
This is hardly surprising to me. They spend their money on people and the peaceful pursuit of happiness, rather than bombs, bullets and always looking for the next war to fight. What a novel idea!
Is it interesting that none of the countries of Eastern Europe or the former Soviet Union were included on that list. Now, those were ruled by socialists for a long time, and some of them still are, but for some reason their experience with socialism is "irrelevant" to Americans on the left. I wonder why that is.
I can think of other common characteristics for the top four too:
1. They are all countries where the predominant part of the population are White Europeans.
2. Not just White Europeans but as you-know-who would have called them: Aryans. Is that important?
3. They are all relatively affluent and have been for a long time.
4. Some - Norway and Holland - have huge quantities of exportable and highly profitable natural resources.
5. Their populations are relatively homogeneous with relatively little ethnic conflict (Holland may be an exception to this).
A few further questions:
What were the criteria for happiness?
Why are people not standing in line to move to the top four?
Why are most immigrants going to other countries?
the top four are countries full of white people
sailor channeled his inner Pat Buchanan. White Europeans RULE in sailor's world.....the reality they have been free countries for centuries unlike Eastern Europe.
sailor seems to support Aryans.......
This is about as silly a misreading of my post as one could have managed, I knew I could count on you RJ.
My point about White Europeans and Aryans - if there is such a thing - was that all kinds of "interesting" and provocative characteristics and parallels could be noted on such a short list. And these similarities may have something to do with who drew up and applied the criteria and what criteria they used to determine happiness. You seem to have missed that.
Furthermore, your point about long-time independence is simply mistaken. Norway was a part Sweden until recent times. Finland was a part of the Tsar's Empire 100 years ago and Tsar's government was engaged in an intense policy of Russification in Finland. This included attempts to subvert local self-government, incorporation of the Finish army into the Russian army, making the postal service part of the Russian postal service, and the like. Some independence!
And when it comes to lack of independence in Eastern Eyrope, Russia has not been independent for a long time? That's funny, I thought they had been for over 500 years.
You seem to have your own confused idea of reality, where historical fact has no place.
the top four are countries full of white people