US defense budget could be trimmed by 1 trillion $ over the next 10 years

[Democratic Hawk]

I'm proud to support a massive defense budget.

Lets get all Americans needing jobs in the industrial military complex then

[fezzyfestoon]

I'm proud to support a massive defense budget.

There are no words.

[The Vorlon]

Just a crazy couple ideas here.....

Maybe if we diverted say $20 billion a year into nuclear FUSION power generation research, plus other workable forms of alternative energy we could cut our dependence on foreign oil, emit less pollution, and have cheaper almost unlimited power....

....which means we would not need to protect a bunch of OPEC states stuck in the middle ages,...  which means we might not actually need 12 carrier battle groups, an over-sized airforce able to bomb anybody, anywhere at anytime, and might not actually need the ability to invade and overthrow assorted foreign governments as required...

The $3 billion a week we spend/borrow  to buy foreign oil would no longer be needed, and the nation would (at very least) go bankrupt less quickly, while at the same time reducing the potential influence of foreign governments who, by virtue of holding a zillion dollars in T-Bills might be tempted to economically blackmail the County....

In addition, the production of energy domestically might create jobs in the US as opposed to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which might help the unemployment rate as well as raise more revenues as unemployed workers find jobs and start paying taxes....

Or have I missed something?

[Storebought]

I'd probably oppose this being big on defense. Tackle the deficit by, modestly, raising taxes on the primary beneficiaries of that supply-side nonsense, I would

You seriously support keeping defense spending at its current level....really?

Aye if it meant jobs, jobs, jobs. Unemployment is high enough as it is and it depresses me unutterably

Dave, that's a lot of money spent per job.

Perhaps when our businesses start fulfilling their moral obligations to provide us work our government's may not need to spend so much. It's taking all my inner strength not to become some "lefty" agitating for protectionist populism and limits on the free movement of capital

And the G20 was waste of ruddy time. At a time when its vital we stimulate demand for goods and services, and a new consensus is needed, they agree to all go off and pursue their own economic policies. The Crash came, we were told to spend, spend, spend and now its cut, cut, cut

There has got to be some place better than this because Earth is Hell

War and militarism are the absolute worst misallocations of resources imaginable.

Building bombs or blowing people up are not real jobs; they are parasitic, destructive activities.

That's only true if the country loses the war.

Using borrowed money to fund a successful war is massively profitable for the government that engages in it.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Storebought? Hah. Welcome back

[Storebought]

Storebought? Hah. Welcome back

Thank you. Your concern is endearing.

I've posted here on occasion for about a month now. It can't be more often than that because I need to write my thesis and graduate some time this year ...

[opebo]

Just a crazy couple ideas here.....

Maybe if we diverted say $20 billion a year into nuclear FUSION power generation research, plus other workable forms of alternative energy we could cut our dependence on foreign oil, emit less pollution, and have cheaper almost unlimited power....

Or have I missed something?

Yeah you missed that it is entirely likely that fusion and alternative energy sources are nonsense.

[Derek]

Just a crazy couple ideas here.....

Maybe if we diverted say $20 billion a year into nuclear FUSION power generation research, plus other workable forms of alternative energy we could cut our dependence on foreign oil, emit less pollution, and have cheaper almost unlimited power....

Or have I missed something?

Yeah you missed that it is entirely likely that fusion and alternative energy sources are nonsense.

Fusion is something we need to be investing into more. Think of how that could benefit our economy. We'd also have less pollution.