Who is Yuri? Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 And I think I spent too much time and money learning to read Die Verwandlung in German. Define "too much." Too much: to a higher degree than is desirable, permissible, or possible. Are you gearing up for a semantic dispute? Or do you think that our current rate of military spending is too low or just right? Answer me. And while you're at it, define semantic dispute. There could be younger folks in our readership who have never heard of that term. It's a plan to shine a very bright light on a very dark and covered up problem so we can begin to solve that problem. Wouldn't that be amazing if the government actually spent money to solve a problem that would ultimately save the American taxpayer boatloads of money Maybe our competing plans are not mutually exclusive. I could wait for the results of your audit before addressing the fraud and waste in the DoD. I'm also not opposed to examining other departments for gross inefficiencies. You've won me over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Too much: to a higher degree than is desirable, permissible, or possible. Are you gearing up for a semantic dispute? Or do you think that our current rate of military spending is too low or just right? Answer me. I'm asking for detail. How is it "too much?" Measured by world spending? Percentage of GDP? Are you considering the QDR? If you are, is the problem with the spending, or with the direction of the QDR itself? Is there a cost-benefit analysis you're relying on? And besides that...do you want to whine and B word about defense spending being "too much," or waste in defense spending being "too much?" Because "we spend too much on defense" and "there's too much waste in defense spending" are not the same thing - put simply, in deference to you, one's a function of efficiency and the other a result of policy. I'll let you try to guess which is which. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Who is Yuri? Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I'm asking for detail. How is it "too much?" Measured by world spending? Percentage of GDP? Are you considering the QDR? If you are, is the problem with the spending, or with the direction of the QDR itself? Is there a cost-benefit analysis you're relying on? And besides that...do you want to whine and B word about defense spending being "too much," or waste in defense spending being "too much?" Because "we spend too much on defense" and "there's too much waste in defense spending" are not the same thing - put simply, in deference to you, one's a function of efficiency and the other a result of policy. I'll let you try to guess which is which. I think I've made it fairly clear that my focus is upon waste. You are right. Too much waste does not equal too much spending. That's a false equivalency. However, if waste goes down, so does spending. Then why did you post the military spending graph? Because, if the US military spending is the rough equivalent of every other nations' spending combined, that, feel free to disagree is overkill, like shooting bullets into a dead enemy - wasteful. Yes, we should cut fraud and waste in government. That would make it fairly obvious to the average voter that military spending deserves serious attention when it comes to waste in government. You've basically given the readers a choice between my plan to immediately cut military fraud and waste, or your plan to throw more taxpayer money at the problem. That's the first place that I would look for fraud and waste. Here is some remedial reading so that you can understand why we have been discussing government waste. Maybe our competing plans are not mutually exclusive. I could wait for the results of your audit before addressing the fraud and waste in the DoD. I'm also not opposed to examining other departments for gross inefficiencies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
....lybob Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Who really benefits when large corporations benefit? Does the US have the highest living standard in the world? Nope, In net median wealth per adult we rank 22nd, in life expectancy we rank 34th, literacy 28th, Childhood poverty 34th out of 35 developed countries A new report by the United Nations Children's Fund, on the well-being of children in 35 developed nations, turned up some alarming statistics about child poverty. More than one in five American children fall below a relative poverty line, which UNICEF defines as living in a household that earns less than half of the national median. The United States ranks 34th of the 35 countries surveyed, above only Romania and below virtually all of Europe plus Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/04/15/map-how-35-countries-compare-on-child-poverty-the-u-s-is-ranked-34th/ internet speed 17th, overall infrastructure 25th, happiness 17th, paid vacation days leisure time last in the developed world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Who is Yuri? Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Nope, In net median wealth per adult we rank 22nd, in life expectancy we rank 34th, literacy 28th, Childhood poverty 34th out of 35 developed countries https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/04/15/map-how-35-countries-compare-on-child-poverty-the-u-s-is-ranked-34th/ internet speed 17th, overall infrastructure 25th, happiness 17th, paid vacation days leisure time last in the developed world. That's truly amazing. There are 11 major developed nations that have more than double the USA's net median wealth per adult. Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Norway, Switzerland, and the UK. Five cpuntries triple us: Australia, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Holy smokes. Very interesting lybob. Look at the UK. https://fullfact.org/sites/fullfact.org/files/spending%20pie.png Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Because, if the US military spending is the rough equivalent of every other nations' spending combined, that, feel free to disagree is overkill, like shooting bullets into a dead enemy - wasteful. Is it? Or is this another false equivalency? In other words: does US defense spending provide something that the rest of the world combined cannot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikie2times Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 (edited) Were you this outraged when public sector unions were corrupting politicians by financing their campaigns in order to drain public finances that led to numerous municipal bankruptcies, or the ridiculous tenure arrangements that enabled poor teaching at the expense of students? I mean it wasn't that long ago when public sector unions were the #1 corrupting force in money and politics. Surely you were just as passionate about this, Right? I'm 33, so I didn't understand that time as well as understand this time. I imagine I would have disapproved based on similar logic. I'm right on monetary policy and left on social policy and sure as hell don't affiliate myself with either side. I actually don't support Bernie's monetary policy at all. I would have never made a vote again if it wasn't for Sanders bringing up the two issues I care about most, Citizens United and Glass Steagal. At this time I support a system that can be won by a republican or democrat with no gross favors owed, I don't care which side the candidate is. I also support an economy that is stable, which can't happen right now. Nothing has changed since 2008, a time we almost went into a depression if not for a bailout. Nobody cares. Interest rates are stuck at 0% for an ungodly period of time. We have brought the global economy to it's knees as a result of policy and we just keep replaying the same story. Bernie has been ahead of wall street and predicting too big to fail scenarios before the Fed or economists did. He was grilling Greenspan in 2003. I take it you don't see the inconsistency in your logic. So you're not fine with Kochs donating through their corporation, but you're fine with them donating as individuals? You must keep missing words. "I want publicly funded elections with low maximum donations" The Koch brothers wouldn't be able to donate over 100 million dollars. Hillary would not be able to raise 45 million dollars. If the cap is 2,500, nobody can be as influential as they can now. Sure, the whole thing will always be shady. But what happening now is just arrogant. Edited August 20, 2015 by KzooMike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Who is Yuri? Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Is it? Or is this another false equivalency? In other words: does US defense spending provide something that the rest of the world combined cannot? Roughly equivalent dollars is what the graph represents. You make an interesting point, though. So what does that spending get you? Is it worth it? The rest of the world would never combine against us. If aliens invaded we'd stand the best chance. Not to make light of the issue you raised, we could spend a lot less and still be the most formidable country militarily on Planet Earth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GG Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Nope, In net median wealth per adult we rank 22nd, in life expectancy we rank 34th, literacy 28th, Childhood poverty 34th out of 35 developed countries https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/04/15/map-how-35-countries-compare-on-child-poverty-the-u-s-is-ranked-34th/ internet speed 17th, overall infrastructure 25th, happiness 17th, paid vacation days leisure time last in the developed world. Note that I said standard of living, not median meet worth. But that's ok,it's not like you to misrepresent reality. Internet statistics are laughable too, because it's certainly fair to compare Internet build outs for the entire American geography with densely populated European and Asian countries the size of Rhode Island. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I think I've made it fairly clear that my focus is upon waste. Yes, waste in the DOD and nowhere else until I brought it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Who is Yuri? Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 (edited) Yes, waste in the DOD and nowhere else until I brought it up. Well, waste in government, but the DoD first, until you unveiled your plan to audit the entire gov't. Now that I've educated myself better on the issue, I'm wondering if we shouldn't abolish the Government Accountability Office first to avoid redundancy. Edited August 20, 2015 by Franz Kafka Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 (edited) Well, waste in government, but the DoD first... ...while simultaneously doing away with the Department of Education. C'mon. Say it with me. Cut DOD. Eliminate DOE. You can do it. Edited August 20, 2015 by LABillzFan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3rdnlng Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 ...while simultaneously doing away with the Department of Education. C'mon. Say it with me. Cut DOD. Eliminate DOE. You can do it. But the DOE provides so much................................................................I'll get back to you on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdog1960 Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Nope, In net median wealth per adult we rank 22nd, in life expectancy we rank 34th, literacy 28th, Childhood poverty 34th out of 35 developed countries https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/04/15/map-how-35-countries-compare-on-child-poverty-the-u-s-is-ranked-34th/ internet speed 17th, overall infrastructure 25th, happiness 17th, paid vacation days leisure time last in the developed world. it's amazing that so many believe what they are told to believe and never bother to check if it's true. same thing for healthcare and same excuses from the right. and people actually buy them... http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/08/19/bernie_sanders_let_me_tell_you_something_no_other_candidate_for_president_will_tell_you.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magox Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 By looking at those charts, just makes me want to pack up my bags and move to Greece, France, Spain, Italy and Portugal. Those places must be a magnet for immigration and opportunities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azalin Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 By looking at those charts, just makes me want to pack up my bags and move to Greece, France, Spain, Italy and Portugal. Those places must be a magnet for immigration and opportunities. I don't know how they come up with that stuff - you have to be living under a rock to be unaware of the dire economic conditions in Greece. Italy is doing better, but they're still hurting. I've been to Spain numerous times, and I can tell you from personal experience that their economy, while improving very slightly over recent months, is still deep in the crapper. Madrid's middle class is comparable in their standard of living to our welfare class. I've found that most of the people here who tout European-style socialism haven't been there to experience it for themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meazza Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I don't know how they come up with that stuff - you have to be living under a rock to be unaware of the dire economic conditions in Greece. Italy is doing better, but they're still hurting. I've been to Spain numerous times, and I can tell you from personal experience that their economy, while improving very slightly over recent months, is still deep in the crapper. Madrid's middle class is comparable in their standard of living to our welfare class. I've found that most of the people here who tout European-style socialism haven't been there to experience it for themselves. I guess they get blinded by the other benefits of living there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdog1960 Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 or even this http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=praia+grande+portugal&view=detailv2&&id=3FEFA98D069DA58C009BB5117D1D8F2F26805FCA&selectedIndex=0&ccid=ZfsDBH6S&simid=608034195746522364&thid=JN.HL4uHMPmKXw43a2M2lhZVQ&ajaxhist=0 very nice homes available nearby for very good prices. would be a fine place to retire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob in Mich Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I guess they get blinded by the other benefits of living there. Yeah, it looks sweet but you see that cliff there? That blocks you from getting the Sunday Ticket on the satellite dish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meazza Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Yeah, it looks sweet but you see that cliff there? That blocks you from getting the Sunday Ticket on the satellite dish. lol You're 100% right. I'm staying here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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