12-12-2021, 07:20 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-12-2021, 07:23 PM by Eric the Green.)
(12-12-2021, 08:16 AM)Anthony Wrote: Isn't it interesting: Where you are becoming less anti-military, I am becoming less pro-military - for two reasons: First, there is no fiscal, or moral, justification for spending $1.4 trillion to "defend ourselves" against the Irans of this world, when in 1969 we spent a mere $70 billion to defend ourselves against the Soviet Union; and second, think of all the roads, bridges, and high-speed rail we could build if we "only" cut our annual military budget to $514 billion (the $70 billion of 1969 adjusted for inflation) - and considering the much lesser threat posed by Iran etc. (and any total war vs. either Russia or China will result in M.A.D. - Mutually Assured Destruction).
And frankly, what Russia may or may not do in Ukraine - or what China may or may not do in Taiwan - is none of our God damn business. How would we like it if Moscow and/or Beijing were to accuse us of committing "imperialism" in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands (even if we are doing exactly that)?
well, maybe we are meeting closer to the middle on the military. I'd still like to see us cut the military budget too. And reduce instead of fund more nuclear weapons.
The difference though between us and China and Russia is that our imperial colonies are now part of the USA now for over a century, and were not independent countries like Taiwan and Ukraine are. But I suppose they could accuse us of attacking these countries (former Spanish colonies) 120 years ago, and that would justify opposing support for the countries they are attacking.
I hope we don't go to war, and we won't over Ukraine (but would send support). Russia might be content to conquer just the eastern provinces, I hope. But with Taiwan, it's all or nothing. As for Iran, I would not support the USA going to war with them. It was the USA's fault when Trump pulled out of the nuclear agreement, and we should just pull ourselves back in. But, it may be too late to stop them going nuclear. That doesn't mean we should attack them, though. But Israel probably would, and like it or not, we could be drawn in then.