Missiles or food, which is more important?

[pr126]

World poverty should be a global concern, not just the one particular country you happen to live in.

Edit

There is enough poverty in the US to worry about.
Besides, the US is over $18 trillion in the red.
Sort that one out before you want to give other people's money away.

[Baruch]

Jannabear - I admire your humanitarianism ... but like most discussions of this type ... they are pissing up wind.  Neither you nor I run a government.  So talking about what nations should or shouldn't do ... is a waste of time.  What will you do?  I hope you can find an outlet for your fine sentiments.  I do what I can here and now for those I love.  But the common good also makes its claim.  The kleptocrats are mostly a loss as well ... they want their diamond encrusted bio-dome on Mars ... to get away from people like you and me ... because they are such ... humanitarians.

Make yourself available to do good ... find some person or organization to help who will let you ... if you get remuneration, you can always donate some of your cash to a good cause.  If everyone did this, there would still be problems, but fewer of them.

Unfortunately humans in general, and human males in particular, are aggressive.  It will always be necessary to expend resources against real, as opposed to imagined, risks.  The US is saddled with the greatest contribution, because of WW II and what came before it.  Generals are always fighting the previous war.  On the other hand, rather than the government spending all that tax money, they could simply let the people keep it, and let the people can decide how to support the common good.

[josephpalazzo]

The ancients understood that you need weapons to secure food: you can't have one without the other. If the US retreats, the vacuum will be filled by other nations whose agenda is a lot more sinister than the US. Be content with the devil you know than the devil you don't know.

[Baruch]

The ancients understood that you need weapons to secure food: you can't have one without the other. If the US retreats, the vacuum will be filled by other nations whose agenda is a lot more sinister than the US. Be content with the devil you know than the devil you don't know.

I welcome the iron rice bowl of our Chinese overlords ;-)

[josephpalazzo]

I welcome the iron rice bowl of our Chinese overlords ;-)

Take a hard look at Beijing, with its dense thick fog, the city has to close down every other day. I'll keep eating my pizza sans fumée...

[Hydra009]

The ancients understood that you need weapons to secure food: you can't have one without the other.

Exactly.  And I'd like to point out that the US produces enough of both for its own population and then some, so the "missiles or food" thing contains a false dichotomy.  At any rate, the main problem right now isn't production, but distribution.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

What isn't mentioned is that every penny of aid comes with extreme strings attached that always allows American corporations to have their way in whichever country receives the aid. Got a million starving people in your country? Sure, we'll feed them, but we get all the oil or whatever resources you happen to have.. Don't want to play ball? No problem..Our CIA will just overthrow your government.. Problem solved.

[Shiranu]

What isn't mentioned is that every penny of aid comes with extreme strings attached that always allows American corporations to have their way in whichever country receives the aid. Got a million starving people in your country? Sure, we'll feed them, but we get all the oil or whatever resources you happen to have.. Don't want to play ball? No problem..Our CIA will just overthrow your government.. Problem solved.

This too... mentioned how corrupt other countries are without even addressing how corrupt we are as well.

[Baruch]

Exactly.  And I'd like to point out that the US produces enough of both for its own population and then some, so the "missiles or food" thing contains a false dichotomy.  At any rate, the main problem right now isn't production, but distribution.

The US produces enough food (until the oil runs out) to feed 600 millions per year.  But distribution is solved, because the Chinese and Saudis are busy buying up the farm land, so that they can ship their food from their land, back to their country.

[josephpalazzo]

Exactly.  And I'd like to point out that the US produces enough of both for its own population and then some, so the "missiles or food" thing contains a false dichotomy.  At any rate, the main problem right now isn't production, but distribution.

It's not only a problem NOW, it has always been a problem - regardless of the political system in place, the ruling class simply doesn't want to share with those at the bottom of the social ladder.

[Baruch]

It's not only a problem NOW, it has always been a problem - regardless of the political system in place, the ruling class simply doesn't want to share with those at the bottom of the social ladder.

Food provision is one of the ultimate means of control over people.  Not just quantity, but quality ... hence my suspicion of GMO.  Russia wants to be the world's biggest supplier of non-GMO, and China wants to be the basis of a new gold-backed international currency ... hence they must be destroyed.

Major edit ... I put GMO when I meant non-GMO ;-(

[Jannabear]

World poverty should be a global concern, not just the one particular country you happen to live in.

Edit

There is enough poverty in the US to worry about.
Besides, the US is over $18 trillion in the red.
Sort that one out before you want to give other people's money away.

30 billion is fucking nothing compared to our gdp.
We could cut 30 billion off of our MASSIVE
MASSIVE
MASSIVE
MASSIVE
......
MASSIVE
Military budget.
570 billion+ per year, pfft.

[pr126]

Yes, very well.
Now what do YOU intend to do about it? Other than ranting on the forum.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Your presidency is running out of steam Jannabear. The congress is owned by the kleptocracy so unless you're prepared to change the law to make being corrupt illegal your presidency will go down in history as just another wilting wallflower.. in the meantime corruption seems to be the flavor of the day and a damned popular flavor at that.

[Baruch]

Your presidency is running out of steam Jannabear. The congress is owned by the kleptocracy so unless you're prepared to change the law to make being corrupt illegal your presidency will go down in history as just another wilting wallflower.. in the meantime corruption seems to be the flavor of the day and a damned popular flavor at that.

Money has always been popular ... otherwise nobody would counterfeit it, not even governments.  The first government counterfeiting was during the failure of Athens during the Peloponnesian War with Sparta.  They had to make the first clad coins (like the present US quarter) because they were running out of silver ... it was copper with silver plating.  The locals were heard to remark (in Greek) ... "Who produced this shit!" when the plating came off.  Today we have US pennies that are zinc, with copper plating ... money just like Mom used to make back in the old days ;-)  Examples of both genuine and fake drachmas of ancient Athens are still found today.

So not just corruption of the MIC ... something Socrates opposed, even though an uber-patriot.  But near perpetual warfare, means you are going for broke, fast!  I am sure some of the Athenians pocketed drachmas they hadn't earned ... in a place that actually paid you for jury duty.  But the penalties were quite severe ;-(  The Spartans, who won with treasonous outside Persian help ... just like the American colonists with French help, hated the very idea of money ... and only allowed iron rods as an intermediate barter.  Spartans weren't supposed to be in trade, except for blood-letting on the battlefield.  But gold coins from Persia were frequently attractive enough to even sway Spartan kings less hardened than Leonidas.