Robert, great video. Thanks for posting it. I’m honestly surprised that it was posted here. I will forward the video to others.
Domestically, I’m more concerned and threatened with the policies and actions originating from America’s political elites, super-rich, and the cultural institutions than I am internationally with dangers coming from angry men crouching in Pakistani caves. It’s the immoral, irresponsible, and illegal behavior of the USG and its above named strategic business partners that cause many from around the world and even domestically to define America and Americans as their enemy. The USG and its partners offer us a costly snake-oil solution (impoverishing the American people and stealing g our liberty) to a problem they created for us to suffer from. Who are the real the most dangerous enemies of the American people?
Someone should read up on the F-22 and the billions spent on aircraft that is in the shop more than the air and the military does not trust it to fly a single mission in any of our recent conflicts
Remember, we have to spend this much money on our military or else the world will end.
The Chinese are such an unbelievable, crushing threat, totally not a paper tiger that would have a tough time invading their neighbors let alone attack the US. Lets not forget Iran, they totally might, possibly, maybe build a nuke, and then maybe, possibly find some way to get it here. Or North Korea, we have seen their staggering technical achievements, they have an entire nation that apparently doesn’t need food, water, or medical attention to live. The South Koreans should be shaking in fear of their super human brethren to the north.
With these threats in mind how can we possibly justify cutting the military’s budget?
Two things I thought of when I saw this –
1) Two time Medal of Honor recipient Marine Lieutenant Colonel Smedley Butler back in the 1930’s – “War is a Racket”
“Crises there will continue to be. In meeting them, whether foreign or domestic, great or small, there is a recurring temptation to feel that some spectacular and costly action could become the miraculous solution to all current difficulties. A huge increase in newer elements of our defense; development of unrealistic programs to cure every ill in agriculture; a dramatic expansion in basic and applied research — these and many other possibilities, each possibly promising in itself, may be suggested as the only way to the road we wish to travel.”
“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military/industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes.”
Excerpts from Dwight D Eisenhower’s farewell speech, 1961
“Crises there will continue to be. In meeting them, whether foreign or domestic, great or small, there is a recurring temptation to feel that some spectacular and costly action could become the miraculous solution to all current difficulties.”
Hurm, everything we have done since 9/11?
I realize this generally comes off as tin foil on head paranoid, but. Eisenhower said it first, “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”. Beyond that many of his remarks still hold true to this day. Take a look if you like http://www.h-net.org/~hst306/documents/indust.html
Fear of the Soviet, fear of the Chinese, fear of the Koreans, fear of men hiding in caves, fear of drugs, fear of guns, fear of each other.
Ignore the fear.
NASA, I thought we closed that down? Damaged goods? I am offended. Each and every solder that get’s wounded in these wars are NOT damaged goods. They are Americans who put their lives on the line for this country. And fact, where does this guy get his “numbers”?
Good question about where does he get his numbers. I didn’t address it as some of his categories of numbers are in the ballpark that I’ve heard quoted elsewhere from various sources I’ve learned to have some respect for. Rhetorically, I wonder where the Justice Department, White House, Defense Department, CIA, FBI, Homeland Security, and others get their numbers.
I don’t think disrespect was intended by the use of the term “damaged goods”. I suspect it’s used as a reference to such facts as when people are looking to cut defense spending, often the first place they look is the VA and other veterans’ benefits.
53% of our tax dollars isn’t correct. Total taxes raised via income taxes, etc… is around $2T. The remainder of the budget is made up of debt (sold to the Fed in exchange for fiat). So if he’s saying war stuffs cost $1.6T, it’s more like 80% of your tax dollars go toward defense. Or you could say that the Fed is funding much of it by buying Treasury debt. Either way.
I call shenanigans – this dude said the health care deal was 1.6T over 10 years? What is he, a government worker? Independent analysis showed the cost was higher than that; the administration just used gimmicks to get it lower (largely by offloading massive costs to the period shortly after those 10 years were up).
Our fightin’ budget is pretty massive but let’s face it, we are the BEST in the world and we want to remain that way. That means there are a number of costs we incur that not even the #2/#3/#4/etc. guys have to deal with – sabotage, espionage, theft, you name it, our enemies (economically now more than militarily) have to worry about. I’m not saying there aren’t ways to use our money more efficiently and avoid wasteful spending – anybody who’s spent a day in a VA hospital knows how easy that would be – but we need to remain focused first and foremost on lowering entitlement spending. Independent analysis shows that is the largest threat to our financial security in the future.
If one was to look at the amount spent by the 10 largest militaries, it seems pretty clear that we could spend half of what we do now and still be the BEST in the world. On this site, we often talk of the intent of the founding fathers; it seems difficult to believe the founders wanted the US to have a military that is the best.
I really do not view North Korea as much of a threat as they cannot even feed themselves. It seems that North Korean missiles do not work anyway.
Iran is probably trying to get a nuke to defend themselves from Pakistan. The Sunni Muslims hate the Shiites more than they hate us. Shiites are paranoid and for a good reason.
Afghanistan is a terrorist hotel, but any of the wonderful failed and not so failed Muslim States could be the same thing. Pakistan, in my view is probably more dangerous than Afghanistan. India really needs to wipe out Pakistan.
I still have no understanding of why we invaded Iraq.
China cannot project their power and they need our dollars and markets.
Russia and much of Eastern Europe is a basket case.
I think we will implode due to excessive government spending ( of all types ) before we see a mass invasion of the USA.
I’m not too sure about this guy’s math, he claims that more than half of the budget is for the military, and I’ve read elsewhere that more than half the budget pays interest on our debt, which leaves……… ahhhhh……. mmmmmm…….. nothing, actually less than nothing for anything else. Last I checked, the national parks were still open, medicare was still paying bills, highway construction seems to be busy at least in my neck of the woods. So I’m calling BS on somebody.
That’s because the government is debasing our money, since the government is the one that prints as much as they want, and since the government is the first in line to use it, they don’t have to deal with the diminished purchasing power that the dollar has that the regular people get to deal with.
In other words, the taxpayer is getting ripped off no matter what.
I’m somewhat skeptical of the video’s accounting. If, as the narrator points out, defense of State Dept operations is “Military” spending, then border security could be construed as “Military” spending. There’s a slippery slope problem here.
And if interest on prior wars’ costs is considered “Military” spending, then it should be given a cost-benefit analysis. Winning WWII was probably better than losing, so it was/is money well spent.
I wholeheartedly agree that we spend too much on the Military. Subject military programs to rigorous cost/benefit analysis (like why are we still running 18 SSBNs ???). However, expect screams of terror from The Left over any similar analysis of government social programs.
The Left simply doesn’t care about how such programs skew society. Many social program’s purpose is to take money from the politically un-connected and give it to the politically connected. Senate Dems (and a few GOP fellow travelers) just grabbed ankle for the Post Office with $30 billion+ bailout, violating a prior budget cap pledge. Not a peep from the Dem’s media catamites.
That many government programs debase their recipients and encourage a life of dependency is ignored. Social Security Disability, which is rapidly going broke, has become one such clown program. Twenty five years ago, most claims were for cancer and heart disease. Today, mental illness and back pain are the majority. Is it any wonder that many businesses find it tough to get motivated, entry level workers (like truck drivers)? Getting on the dole is now seen as a virtue. Why work?
It’s well done and makes a good point, although the conclusion (We spend too much on defense, therefore Obamacare and the rest of domestic spending shouldn’t be questioned.) is dumb partisan rhetoric.
Also makes me think of Ron Paul’s platform, in which he cuts or eliminates most government spending and increases funding for only one agency — The VA.
The Air Marshals have been practicing at the range where I shoot, for the last month. They have had about 20 people out there each Monday and Thursday for about a month now. I can tell you that they are shooting up an inordanant amount of .357 Sig. They arrive at about 0800, and don’t depart until much later.
The drills they go through aren’t just for planes. These guys are gearing up for something, and that something could very well be the confiscation of firearms. I am not a Ted Nugent fan, I don’t like his music, but I am begining to get a bit more like him in paranoia. Just because they are after you, doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.
Oh well back to my Japanese movie, Mothra vs Godzilla. At least it makes sense. Thats more than I can say for the govt.
The Federal government should have two purposes only: first, to build highways, and second, to keep us safe from foreign and domestic enemies.
From what I can see, the Feds aren’t doing very much of the first, and the agencies are the enemy.
THIS
Robert, great video. Thanks for posting it. I’m honestly surprised that it was posted here. I will forward the video to others.
Domestically, I’m more concerned and threatened with the policies and actions originating from America’s political elites, super-rich, and the cultural institutions than I am internationally with dangers coming from angry men crouching in Pakistani caves. It’s the immoral, irresponsible, and illegal behavior of the USG and its above named strategic business partners that cause many from around the world and even domestically to define America and Americans as their enemy. The USG and its partners offer us a costly snake-oil solution (impoverishing the American people and stealing g our liberty) to a problem they created for us to suffer from. Who are the real the most dangerous enemies of the American people?
Someone should read up on the F-22 and the billions spent on aircraft that is in the shop more than the air and the military does not trust it to fly a single mission in any of our recent conflicts
long live the warthog!! absolutely my favorite of all time.
there was nothin’ wrong with the A-6 Intruder or EA-6B Prowler either
Hell yeah! There’s just something way too awesome about a giant flying gun.
If I were to join the Airforce, it would be to be a warthog pilot. That can never happen, unfortunately, but it would be cool.
Remember, we have to spend this much money on our military or else the world will end.
The Chinese are such an unbelievable, crushing threat, totally not a paper tiger that would have a tough time invading their neighbors let alone attack the US. Lets not forget Iran, they totally might, possibly, maybe build a nuke, and then maybe, possibly find some way to get it here. Or North Korea, we have seen their staggering technical achievements, they have an entire nation that apparently doesn’t need food, water, or medical attention to live. The South Koreans should be shaking in fear of their super human brethren to the north.
With these threats in mind how can we possibly justify cutting the military’s budget?
Two things I thought of when I saw this –
1) Two time Medal of Honor recipient Marine Lieutenant Colonel Smedley Butler back in the 1930’s – “War is a Racket”
http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.pdf
2) “The game is the same, it just got more fierce” Slim Charles from “The Wire”
“Crises there will continue to be. In meeting them, whether foreign or domestic, great or small, there is a recurring temptation to feel that some spectacular and costly action could become the miraculous solution to all current difficulties. A huge increase in newer elements of our defense; development of unrealistic programs to cure every ill in agriculture; a dramatic expansion in basic and applied research — these and many other possibilities, each possibly promising in itself, may be suggested as the only way to the road we wish to travel.”
“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military/industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes.”
Excerpts from Dwight D Eisenhower’s farewell speech, 1961
We were warned.
“Crises there will continue to be. In meeting them, whether foreign or domestic, great or small, there is a recurring temptation to feel that some spectacular and costly action could become the miraculous solution to all current difficulties.”
Hurm, everything we have done since 9/11?
I realize this generally comes off as tin foil on head paranoid, but. Eisenhower said it first, “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”. Beyond that many of his remarks still hold true to this day. Take a look if you like http://www.h-net.org/~hst306/documents/indust.html
Fear of the Soviet, fear of the Chinese, fear of the Koreans, fear of men hiding in caves, fear of drugs, fear of guns, fear of each other.
Ignore the fear.
We have gots to keeps the military industrial complex strong!
One
Giant
Cash
Grab
NASA, I thought we closed that down? Damaged goods? I am offended. Each and every solder that get’s wounded in these wars are NOT damaged goods. They are Americans who put their lives on the line for this country. And fact, where does this guy get his “numbers”?
Good question about where does he get his numbers. I didn’t address it as some of his categories of numbers are in the ballpark that I’ve heard quoted elsewhere from various sources I’ve learned to have some respect for. Rhetorically, I wonder where the Justice Department, White House, Defense Department, CIA, FBI, Homeland Security, and others get their numbers.
I don’t think disrespect was intended by the use of the term “damaged goods”. I suspect it’s used as a reference to such facts as when people are looking to cut defense spending, often the first place they look is the VA and other veterans’ benefits.
I don’t think he was being disrespectful – by definition, someone who is wounded IS damaged and not the same prior to being injured…
53% of our tax dollars isn’t correct. Total taxes raised via income taxes, etc… is around $2T. The remainder of the budget is made up of debt (sold to the Fed in exchange for fiat). So if he’s saying war stuffs cost $1.6T, it’s more like 80% of your tax dollars go toward defense. Or you could say that the Fed is funding much of it by buying Treasury debt. Either way.
I call shenanigans – this dude said the health care deal was 1.6T over 10 years? What is he, a government worker? Independent analysis showed the cost was higher than that; the administration just used gimmicks to get it lower (largely by offloading massive costs to the period shortly after those 10 years were up).
Our fightin’ budget is pretty massive but let’s face it, we are the BEST in the world and we want to remain that way. That means there are a number of costs we incur that not even the #2/#3/#4/etc. guys have to deal with – sabotage, espionage, theft, you name it, our enemies (economically now more than militarily) have to worry about. I’m not saying there aren’t ways to use our money more efficiently and avoid wasteful spending – anybody who’s spent a day in a VA hospital knows how easy that would be – but we need to remain focused first and foremost on lowering entitlement spending. Independent analysis shows that is the largest threat to our financial security in the future.
If one was to look at the amount spent by the 10 largest militaries, it seems pretty clear that we could spend half of what we do now and still be the BEST in the world. On this site, we often talk of the intent of the founding fathers; it seems difficult to believe the founders wanted the US to have a military that is the best.
#1
The Founders also called a large standing federal army the greatest threat to liberty and financial solvency.
I really do not view North Korea as much of a threat as they cannot even feed themselves. It seems that North Korean missiles do not work anyway.
Iran is probably trying to get a nuke to defend themselves from Pakistan. The Sunni Muslims hate the Shiites more than they hate us. Shiites are paranoid and for a good reason.
Afghanistan is a terrorist hotel, but any of the wonderful failed and not so failed Muslim States could be the same thing. Pakistan, in my view is probably more dangerous than Afghanistan. India really needs to wipe out Pakistan.
I still have no understanding of why we invaded Iraq.
China cannot project their power and they need our dollars and markets.
Russia and much of Eastern Europe is a basket case.
I think we will implode due to excessive government spending ( of all types ) before we see a mass invasion of the USA.
I’m not too sure about this guy’s math, he claims that more than half of the budget is for the military, and I’ve read elsewhere that more than half the budget pays interest on our debt, which leaves……… ahhhhh……. mmmmmm…….. nothing, actually less than nothing for anything else. Last I checked, the national parks were still open, medicare was still paying bills, highway construction seems to be busy at least in my neck of the woods. So I’m calling BS on somebody.
That’s because the government is debasing our money, since the government is the one that prints as much as they want, and since the government is the first in line to use it, they don’t have to deal with the diminished purchasing power that the dollar has that the regular people get to deal with.
In other words, the taxpayer is getting ripped off no matter what.
He included the part of the debt caused by military spending in the total.
I’m somewhat skeptical of the video’s accounting. If, as the narrator points out, defense of State Dept operations is “Military” spending, then border security could be construed as “Military” spending. There’s a slippery slope problem here.
And if interest on prior wars’ costs is considered “Military” spending, then it should be given a cost-benefit analysis. Winning WWII was probably better than losing, so it was/is money well spent.
I wholeheartedly agree that we spend too much on the Military. Subject military programs to rigorous cost/benefit analysis (like why are we still running 18 SSBNs ???). However, expect screams of terror from The Left over any similar analysis of government social programs.
The Left simply doesn’t care about how such programs skew society. Many social program’s purpose is to take money from the politically un-connected and give it to the politically connected. Senate Dems (and a few GOP fellow travelers) just grabbed ankle for the Post Office with $30 billion+ bailout, violating a prior budget cap pledge. Not a peep from the Dem’s media catamites.
That many government programs debase their recipients and encourage a life of dependency is ignored. Social Security Disability, which is rapidly going broke, has become one such clown program. Twenty five years ago, most claims were for cancer and heart disease. Today, mental illness and back pain are the majority. Is it any wonder that many businesses find it tough to get motivated, entry level workers (like truck drivers)? Getting on the dole is now seen as a virtue. Why work?
It’s well done and makes a good point, although the conclusion (We spend too much on defense, therefore Obamacare and the rest of domestic spending shouldn’t be questioned.) is dumb partisan rhetoric.
Also makes me think of Ron Paul’s platform, in which he cuts or eliminates most government spending and increases funding for only one agency — The VA.
The Air Marshals have been practicing at the range where I shoot, for the last month. They have had about 20 people out there each Monday and Thursday for about a month now. I can tell you that they are shooting up an inordanant amount of .357 Sig. They arrive at about 0800, and don’t depart until much later.
The drills they go through aren’t just for planes. These guys are gearing up for something, and that something could very well be the confiscation of firearms. I am not a Ted Nugent fan, I don’t like his music, but I am begining to get a bit more like him in paranoia. Just because they are after you, doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.
Oh well back to my Japanese movie, Mothra vs Godzilla. At least it makes sense. Thats more than I can say for the govt.