What would you do with $2.9 TRILLION?

[Zesh Rehman]

i had a dream that i won £108 million the other day if only

 

[Buzzer]

1 in 3 develop cancer.


Even with that (and how does that compare to other Western countries?) they still have one of the highest standards of living and health in the world.



So you think the US military budget is reasonable, and could not be better spent on other projects to promote human well being? Same argument can be applied to all of the above, the US just happens to be the worst and most topical example. Costa Rica for example has no armed forces, and one of the highest literacy rates in the developing world.


My argument wasn't about the relative merits of spending on arms, it was that it was their money, they are open to be thrown out of Government and they, arguably, are better placed to spend money on arms than the other countries I mentioned yet you don't berate these countries. There are people in those other countries living in absolute (not relative) poverty. So, I disagree with your assertion that the Yanks are the worst. That's just typical anti-American rhetoric. I'll take my chances living in poverty in America over Indonesia or North Korea any time.



Maybe. I do a mean Polka.

Really? Will you make a song and dance about the military spend of China or Pakistan? Can't see it myself.

 

[beorhthelm]

Most meaningless and pointless post ever?

i think you might have trumped me yourself.
You clearly dont get that government spending cycles back into the economy. The US Defence sector must be one of the largest, if not the largest, employer in the US. that money goes in pay to hundreds of thousands of troops, hundreds of thousands of admin staff, support industries, science research and so on. In fact if it it wasnt for US military spending you wouldnt have a mobile phone, satalitte TV or, most importantly here, the f***ing internet.

 

[tedebear]

i think you might have trumped me yourself.
You clearly dont get that government spending cycles back into the economy. The US Defence sector must be one of the largest, if not the largest, employer in the US. that money goes in pay to hundreds of thousands of troops, hundreds of thousands of admin staff, support industries, science research and so on. In fact if it it wasnt for US military spending you wouldnt have a mobile phone, satalitte TV or, most importantly here, the f***ing internet.

thats just simple economics though? I thought the arguement or the crux of the matter was that they shouldn't be spending it on defence in the first place?

I certainly would rather see the US spending money in house (as I stated above) than on defence, for a whole host of reasons, all realized when I lived there for a few years... health is one...although the problem there is the system, which makes any amount of money thrown at it irrelevant...

 

[Hampden Park]

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

London Irish must be LOVING it over on brightonfans.com where he's reduced to arguing the toss over marks out of ten against Rotherham

 

[Hampden Park]

It's impossible to imagine just how much $2,900,000,000,000 really is. If you had it, what would you do with it? Think of the hospitals, schools, roads, sea defences, wind farms etc you could build. The lives you could improve, the diseases you could eradicate. Think of all the countless ways you could improve the environment, the world. Care for the sick, homes for the homeless, a roof for the South stand. One person does have this horrendous dilemma and what does he choose to spend it on? The 2007 US military budget, partly funded by a further cut in the already pitifully low health care budget.
We live in a f***ed up world. Any better suggestions on where to splash the cash?

Lokki7 i would buy your wife.......


























































Finland

 

[Buzzer]

London Irish must be LOVING it over on brightonfans.com where he's reduced to arguing the toss over marks out of ten against Rotherham

You notice that this is a debate with reasoned well-argued points and no resorting to personal abuse? What's wrong with us today, you bleeding heart liberal pinko commie?

 

[Eastleigh Seagull]

thats just simple economics though? I thought the arguement or the crux of the matter was that they shouldn't be spending it on defence in the first place?

I certainly would rather see the US spending money in house (as I stated above) than on defence, for a whole host of reasons, all realized when I lived there for a few years... health is one...although the problem there is the system, which makes any amount of money thrown at it irrelevant...

The US defence budget is spent pretty much exclusively in America - meaning the money does go back round the eocnomy. Whether it is through paying salaries to their military or purchasing arms - almost 100% of which goes back into the US economy (apart from the small portion claimed by the British defence companies over there).

Regarding health - surely the reason why 1in3 die of cancer (if that isnt another massive distorted statistic) is that we all have to die of something and that their life expectancy is such that cancer is the thing that gets them in the end rather than something like malnutrition in somewhere like North Korea that spends approx 50% of its budget on the military.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

You notice that this is a debate with reasoned well-argued points and no resorting to personal abuse? What's wrong with us today, you bleeding heart liberal pinko commie?

Indeed. It's most GAY. We don't go back over the thread, awarding plus or minus points to each and every poster and either patting them on the head or heaping them with abuse according to how they tally against our personal scorecard. How QUEER

 

[tedebear]

The US defence budget is spent pretty much exclusively in America - meaning the money does go back round the eocnomy. Whether it is through paying salaries to their military or purchasing arms - almost 100% of which goes back into the US economy (apart from the small portion claimed by the British defence companies over there).

Regarding health - surely the reason why 1in3 die of cancer (if that isnt another massive distorted statistic) is that we all have to die of something and that their life expectancy is such that cancer is the thing that gets them in the end rather than something like malnutrition in somewhere like North Korea that spends approx 50% of its budget on the military.

I wasn't debating that at all, your points are valid (although I didn't raise the cancer one), what I was saying was shouldn't the oodles of money spent by the Americans in defending the worlds "freedom" be better spent on sorting their own problems out first? ie diverting some (not all) of the money to their own poverty, health and social issues?

 

[Mrs Coach]

Buy the cast of LOST and make them perform a new show every day live for me in Hawaii ... and when I got bored, make them act the ending so we know what the FFFFF is going on!

Have every new DVD out delivered daily, along with a new set of clothes, so I dont have to do any washing.

Double the teaching staff in each school and open special hospital units where they treat ONLY drunks and addicts with plenty of armed security so normal people dont have to suffer them in a and e.

Buy the Isle of Wight - deport all the residents to the mainland using high compensation as a carrot and then deport 'stupid' people over there. There will be no boats for them to escape on. And build a wall round the coast so they cant swim back.

A chef on call to cook me anything anytime.

Hire celebrities to do things for my amusement.

When I get bored with all that I'd give the rest to charitee mate.

 

[Eastleigh Seagull]

I wasn't debating that at all, your points are valid (although I didn't raise the cancer one), what I was saying was shouldn't the oodles of money spent by the Americans in defending the worlds "freedom" be better spent on sorting their own problems out first? ie diverting some (not all) of the money to their own poverty, health and social issues?

I was just using your quote to encompass a general response - sorry! But as has been mentioned elsewhere - while countries like China and North Korea continue to spend a greater proportion of their GDP on defence than anyone else then I for one am grateful that the US continues to spend what I agree are frankly obscene amounts of money on their military.

But the US is a democracy and while Bush cant lose the next election the voters will have a choice but dont expect the democrats to reduce the defence budget by much - a little tinkering maybe. The US people are clearly happy with that level of spending and as it is there money who are we to tell them what to do with it.

 

[Lokki 7]

i think you might have trumped me yourself.

Almost but not quite.

You clearly dont get that government spending cycles back into the economy. The US Defence sector must be one of the largest, if not the largest, employer in the US. that money goes in pay to hundreds of thousands of troops, hundreds of thousands of admin staff, support industries, science research and so on. In fact if it it wasnt for US military spending you wouldnt have a mobile phone, satalitte TV or, most importantly here, the f***ing internet.

Thanks for the economics lesson but I do have some idea of the mechanics of government spending. If the money is withdrawn from the defence sector then yes, jobs will be lost. But the money will be spent elsewhere and new jobs created. The difference is that the new jobs could be involved in improving human well being rather than destroying it. To say this is of no concern to us as we are not American is absurd to me. If those US nukes ever go off I doubt you will be able to turn a blind eye. Extreme example I know but this is a global issue as the huge budget enables the US to go into Korea, Vietnam etc etc which effects more than just the burger munching gun monkeys.

 

[Lokki 7]

Maybe. I do a mean Polka.

Really? Will you make a song and dance about the military spend of China or Pakistan? Can't see it myself.

You can't see it yourself because this is the internet but I can assure you my Polka has won admiration in many quarters.

 

[justin]

falmer has to be a priority!

 

[Lokki 7]

Re: Re: What would you do with $2.9 TRILLION?

Lokki7 i would buy your wife.......



Finland

I wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even you fire arse.

 

[Eastleigh Seagull]

Almost but not quite.



Thanks for the economics lesson but I do have some idea of the mechanics of government spending. If the money is withdrawn from the defence sector then yes, jobs will be lost. But the money will be spent elsewhere and new jobs created. The difference is that the new jobs could be involved in improving human well being rather than destroying it. To say this is of no concern to us as we are not American is absurd to me. If those US nukes ever go off I doubt you will be able to turn a blind eye. Extreme example I know but this is a global issue as the huge budget enables the US to go into Korea, Vietnam etc etc which effects more than just the burger munching gun monkeys.

You are a master at making enormous assumptions, stating opinion as fact and rewriting history - are you sure London Irish hasnt taken over your identity?

The large defence budget also enabled the US to help us win two world wars and also prevented the Soviet Union from marching across Europe.

Every country in the world spends money on defence. The US is so high because it has by far the highest GDP. Check out a table of those who spend the highest percentage of GDP on weapons and then you will know why the US budget is so high.

 

[Lokki 7]

You are a master at making enormous assumptions, stating opinion as fact and rewriting history - are you sure London Irish hasnt taken over your identity?

The large defence budget also enabled the US to help us win two world wars and also prevented the Soviet Union from marching across Europe.

Every country in the world spends money on defence. The US is so high because it has by far the highest GDP. Check out a table of those who spend the highest percentage of GDP on weapons and then you will know why the US budget is so high.

I agree with all of the above, even the London Oirish dig to a degree in this thread. But where is the threat now? Not from Russia or Germany, and the Chinese are unlikely to march on Mongolia, the wall will probably keep em at bay. The US has by far and away the most sophisticated and efficient military machine on the planet. They could defend their borders against any foe, even Canada. Given this situation, my point is that if they cut their budget by say, $250 billion a year they would be no weaker, and no less able to defend themselves against all comers. That 250 could change the world for the better. Will never happen though. The military spending makes too much money for too many. Conveniently the US can now justify it via a non-existent, never ending, unwinnable war on terror.

 

[Buzzer]

, and the Chinese are unlikely to march on Mongolia, the wall will probably keep em at bay.

Because the chinese are quite clearly still making plans for Taiwan which is backed by the USA. In fact, without a US presence it would have been overrun years ago.

The North Koreans are quite clearly making nuclear bombs and their leader is mad enough to use them probably against South Korea (backed by USA).

The Iranians also, clearly have nuclear weapons and if so they are certainly aimed at Israel, the only near democratic country on that side of the Middle East.

So, whilst there might not be any direct threat to the US, the US takes its responsibilities seriously and protects these other countries. We won the cold war and the Poles, Hungarians, Czechs, Baltic nations, East Germans etc etc are free because of American defence money (or rather the Soviet states inability to match military spending with an economic policy capable of sustaining it together with the populaces uprising against the oppressive regimes).

It's hardly non-existent, the threat, although I do agree that the Iraq war has created far far more terrorists and was completely illegal.