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America’s Self-Weakening Security Syndrome

Discussion in 'Political Debate & Discussion' started by Revmitchell, Aug 10, 2008.

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  1. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    ..........Rather than spend money on defending ourselves, the thinking went, all we needed were smarter, more honest and compassionate leaders who would tame the world with their sincerity.

    These were convenient, convincing and comforting arguments to cut military spending. They were also just wrong. The U.S. economy worsened, and the world became deadlier.

    Now we’re hearing the same arguments all over again. The answer to all our ills is "end this war." Of course, ending wars won’t solve irresponsible tax-and-spend fiscal policies, rebuild the military or restore global confidence in American leadership.

    And that’s assuming we could just "end" wars — and you can’t. You can lose, quit or win wars … but you cannot end them simply by walking away. Wars have two sides and the enemy, as the saying goes, "gets a vote." This is the real lesson of Vietnam.

    As we saw in the 1980s, there is another way to face adversity. Americans rediscovered that they lived in a resilient and powerful nation that had the means to rebuild the military, stand tall in the struggle against an eternal enemy, and re-energize the economy.

    Rather than repeat the infamous "crisis of confidence" of the 1970s, America should stand tall. Win the Long War. Adopt responsible pro-growth policies that will allow the country to prosper and Washington to provide for the common defense.

    Let’s show that we’ve finally learned the right lesson.

    More Here
     
    #1 Revmitchell, Aug 10, 2008
  2. JustChristian

    JustChristian New Member

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    The U. S. currently spends just about as much on defense as the rest of the world combined.

    World Total
    1,200,000,000,000 2007 (est.)[1]

    1 United States
    583,283,000,000 2008[2]

    2 France
    74,690,470,000 2008-2009 [4]

    3 United Kingdom
    68,911,000,000 FY 2008-09[5]

    4 China
    59,000,000,000 2008[6]

    5 Japan
    48,860,000,000 2008[7]

    6 Germany
    45,930,000,000 2008[8]

    7 Russia
    45,450,000,000 2008 (est.)

    8 Italy
    40,060,000,000 2008 (est.)

    9 Saudi Arabia
    31,050,000,000 2008 [9]

    10 South Korea
    28,940,000,000 2008 [10]

    11 India
    26,500,000,000 2008-2009[1]

    12 Brazil
    25,396,731,055 2008[11]

    13 Australia
    20,727,710,000 2008[12]

    14 Canada
    17,150,002,540 2008[13]

    15 Spain
    15,792,207,000 2007

    16 Turkey
    15,166,000,000 2008

    17 Netherlands
    12,000,000,000 2008[14]

    18 Poland
    10,838,000,000 2008[15]

    19 Republic of China (Taiwan)
    10,500,000,000 2008

    20 Israel
    9,444,000,000 2007

    21 Pakistan
    7,800,000,000 2008


    How much do we have to spend before you'll be happy? What exactly is wrong with providing quality medical care and food for our underpriviledged? The only possible reason why we shouldn't at least cut our defense spending in half immediately is the continued pursuit of maintaining U.S. world supremacy. That's what the Neocons have been chasing in Iraq and I think we've fouind that it's a very poor national objective.
     
    #2 JustChristian, Aug 11, 2008
  3. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Underprivileged is a broad term and in fact weakens your argument. There is no justification for stealing for one to give to someone else who has less than others. Let them get a job, move to where they can get a job and get their own medical insurance.

    What we should be doing is spending time and money on the real causes of the problems with our ability to get medical care at a lesser cost, like dealing with the ambulance chasers who work to make a case out of every thing, instead of funneling money through the most costly and irresponsible organization in the country. All that does is make problems worse and works against our founding purposes of this country.
     
    #3 Revmitchell, Aug 11, 2008
  4. dragonfly

    dragonfly New Member

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    More compassionate Christianity, I see. I can only hope you are forced to take your own advice someday.
     
    #4 dragonfly, Aug 12, 2008
  5. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    Oh you can be sure I have had to live with it. It isnt compassionate to provide for those who can provide for themselves and dont. So many of the government programs go to those who are way beyond any real need.
     
    #5 Revmitchell, Aug 12, 2008
  6. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    How does occupying Iraq and Afganistan cause the USA to be safer?
     
    #6 billwald, Aug 12, 2008
  7. AresMan

    AresMan Active Member
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    Yeah, 'cause we all know that Christianity is all about forcing someone to give up his money to someone else. :rolleyes:
     
    #7 AresMan, Aug 12, 2008
  8. Doubting Thomas

    Doubting Thomas Active Member

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    Good question. I suppose in the Orwellian universe "War is Peace"--we are in the midst of perpetual peace through perpetual war (or the "LONG War" against the "ETERNAL enemy" as Rev stated in the OP).
    At any rate, we're "standing tall". :tonofbricks:
     
    #8 Doubting Thomas, Aug 13, 2008
  9. Crabtownboy

    Crabtownboy Well-Known Member
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    So we are not supposed to 'steal' to help the underprivileged, but it is all right to 'steal' to wage war on others and kill them. Hmmm, I do not believe Christ taught that. He did command us to help others however. :BangHead:
     
    #9 Crabtownboy, Aug 13, 2008
  10. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    You will have to bear in your own conscience whether national defense is stealing. Christians can and do help others through their giving. Handling benevolence via the government adds unnecessary expense, and red tape which males it poor stewardship. That is itself ungodly. There is no scriptual mandate or eve suggestion that we should provide for the poor via the government who does such a poor job. Of course you and I can go back and forth abotu this issue. After a while it serves no purpose. However if in the future you have anythign new to add let me know.
     
    #10 Revmitchell, Aug 13, 2008
  11. Doubting Thomas

    Doubting Thomas Active Member

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    Excellent points.
     
    #11 Doubting Thomas, Aug 13, 2008
  12. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    In theory I support aid to the poor but in theory there is no excuse for any normally healthy person to lack the basic necessities in the USA. I read the stories about the working class getting screwed but there is always included a personal interest story about how the poor are screwing themselves.

    For example, one story about a working minimum wage family going under quoted the wife as saying that they could no longer afford to go out to eat once a week. A minimum wage family should go out to eat maybe twice a year.
     
    #12 billwald, Aug 13, 2008
  13. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    I have not seen in years any busines that only paid the minimum wage. Nor have I met a family that worked for the minimum wage. Where are these people?
     
    #13 Revmitchell, Aug 13, 2008
  14. JustChristian

    JustChristian New Member

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    So you want to spend billions and trillions of dollars, as much as the rest of the world combined, to make you feel secure? The world is a dangerous place. There is no real security outside of Christ. But in MA 25 we're told that not helping the poor is like turning our back on Jesus and that there will be dire consequences for those who do so. Acting in that way, that would make me feel insecure. No, we need a stronger word here. It would terrify me.
     
    #14 JustChristian, Aug 13, 2008
  15. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    So who doesn't help the poor? This country gives more assitance than any number of countries combined.
     
    #15 Revmitchell, Aug 13, 2008
  16. carpro

    carpro Well-Known Member
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    True.

    So, do so.

    Just don't steal from someone else to do it.

    A thief is still a thief. Last time I checked, the Bible did not encourage thievery.
     
    #16 carpro, Aug 14, 2008
  17. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    I find it interesting and quite inconsistant in folks who quote scripture to justify government entitlement programs but fight for and or argue for separation of church and state.
     
    #17 Revmitchell, Aug 14, 2008
  18. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    Some welfare can be justified under the truism of what goes around, comes around.
     
    #18 billwald, Aug 14, 2008
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