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Pretty hard to balance our budget when we have to carry the defense costs of just about every Western style democracy except, maybe, Australia and New Zealand.
These "other countries" with "similar tax rates, far better and more extensive welfare systems, government funded health care, low unemployment and similar living standards" afford all that since we defend them from their enemies, whether the former Soviet Union, Putin's Russia or Islamists.
We don't defend them. We defend our interests.
Those countries don't need our defense. The era of world wars are over. The future holds small conflicts. The days of the massive standing army are ending. The interconnected world economy is seeing to that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MDrenter223
The notion that other countries are all glitter and gold is a farce.
Assuming
At the end of the day a bunch of countries can do somethings better than the USA, but not everything. But in comparisons people take a stat from country A, another from B, and a bunch from C-Z and slap them together to say hey, look theses guys are doing A-Z. But they aren't.
You can't come up with many nations that don't run a deficit.
The US doesn't rank number one on really anything positive. We're in the thirties for life expectancy, forties for infant mortality. Education... ugh...
Oh. We're #1 for defense spending or incarcerating citizens.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ncole1
Lack of political backbone and impulsive voting.
If a politician considers raising taxes, it is political suicide.
If a politician doesn't implement new programs, it is politically damaging.
If a politician wants to reform entitlements or raise retirement age, it gets a lot of backlash.
If a politician wants to shrink the defense budget, someone will cry "terrorist threat"
And don't forget that partisan gridlock has created a situation in which it is difficult to get anything done, never mind measures that many will perceive as hurting __________ . (fill in the blank - some suggestions will include veterans, children, seniors, homeowners, students, small business owners, single parents, minorities...)
Correct me with i'm wrong but the US is in a lot of debit, the most since WWII or something? Why then is it that they can't produce balanced or almost balanced budgets like other countries that have similar tax rates, far better and more extensive welfare systems, government funded health care, low unemployment and similar living standards? I thought military spending may have been a factor, but as % of GDP wise it isn't that significant I thought it's probably not...So what gives, surely with what I've outlined they would be running massive surpluses.
Correct me with i'm wrong but the US is in a lot of debit, the most since WWII or something? Why then is it that they can't produce balanced or almost balanced budgets like other countries that have similar tax rates, far better and more extensive welfare systems, government funded health care, low unemployment and similar living standards? I thought military spending may have been a factor, but as % of GDP wise it isn't that significant I thought it's probably not...So what gives, surely with what I've outlined they would be running massive surpluses.
The US has an empire in the financial markets. All countries must buy into the US markets by floating our currencies and pumping more foreign money into our economy. This enables us to keep printing money and borrow as long as foreign nations can keep picking up our debt. The end game is if one day another country overtakes us in the financial market and suddenly our economy is no longer the gold standard.
Which is why the government is waging a war against China in the media.. China is our frenemy because their economy is so strong that it's able to grow while absorbing our debts. The US is trying to hit China in various ways so they can't surpass us in economic power because we want them to keep paying for our meals. At some point China will surpass us and that has some serious ramifications.
Those countries don't need our defense. The era of world wars are over. The future holds small conflicts. The days of the massive standing army are ending. The interconnected world economy is seeing to that.
That reasoning sounded good until North Vietnam made short work of South Vietnam after our withdrawal. That example may be a bit dated so let's try a few others.
North Korea keeps stirring the pot with South Korea;
Iraq didn't play nicely with the U.N. weapons inspectors - what a surprise;
Russia annexed Crimea in the absence of any credible U.S. threat;
Russia stirs pot in eastern Ukraine in the absence of any credible U.S. threat;
Russia conducts submarine and air "exercises" that threaten Sweden;
Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania feel threatened by Russia; and
ISIS forms and spreads like a cancer through Levant region
Do you really think the U.S.'s military can stand down?
That reasoning sounded good until North Vietnam made short work of South Vietnam after our withdrawal. That example may be a bit dated so let's try a few others.
North Korea keeps stirring the pot with South Korea;
Iraq didn't play nicely with the U.N. weapons inspectors - what a surprise;
Russia annexed Crimea in the absence of any credible U.S. threat;
Russia stirs pot in eastern Ukraine in the absence of any credible U.S. threat;
Russia conducts submarine and air "exercises" that threaten Sweden;
Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania feel threatened by Russia; and
ISIS forms and spreads like a cancer through Levant region
Do you really think the U.S.'s military can stand down?
[*]North Korea keeps stirring the pot with South Korea;
North Korea will not want a war with South Korea. It can't win.
[*]Iraq didn't play nicely with the U.N. weapons inspectors - what a surprise;
We didn't have to invade them.
[*]Russia annexed Crimea in the absence of any credible U.S. threat;
So what? European countries need to spend more on defense.
[*]Russia stirs pot in eastern Ukraine in the absence of any credible U.S. threat;
So what? European countries need to spend more on defense.
[*]Russia conducts submarine and air "exercises" that threaten Sweden;
So what? European countries need to spend more on defense.
[*]Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania feel threatened by Russia; and
So what? European countries need to spend more on defense.
[*]ISIS forms and spreads like a cancer through Levant region.
If we didn't invade and remove Saddam. There would be no ISIS. We created this problem.
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