The official U.S. Pentagon budget and supplemental appropriations total about $700 billion per year — but this doesn’t include costly care for veterans, or huge interest on past military spending done with borrowed money, or nuclear weapons research, or military aid to allies and other large add-ons. The grand total is well beyond $1 trillion annually.
The federal government is drowning in terrible debt. So far, the only solution offered by Republicans is to slash the humane ‘‘safety net’’ that sustains American families. Why won’t leaders reduce the gigantic military instead — a military much larger than needed?
The threat of invasion by a foreign army is minuscule. Today’s enemies are tiny cliques of hidden suicide-fanatics. Monster-size armies, navies and air forces are ineffective against little secret cells. Commando squads and cruising drones deal with them best. ...
Retiring Defense Secretary Robert Gates questions the horrendous cost of America’s global militarism when other democracies around the world don’t bankrupt themselves in the same manner.
Why should America attempt to defend the whole world — especially when so many U.S. invasions overseas turn into Vietnam-style quagmires?
In April, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reported that America’s yearly military spending has nearly doubled since the Bush-Cheney administration took power in 2001. Two wars launched by the Bush-Cheney White House — in Iraq and Afghanistan — has cost taxpayers more than $1 trillion so far, the institute said.
The federal government must reduce its ruinous overspending. It should be done by curbing the overblown military, not by damaging the people-helping safety net.
Online:
http://www.wvgazette.com
I also saw one spelling error, but that was just a slip. I'm sure people will forgive me after having worked hard all day. Well...Jack may not forgive me because I was hard on him the other day in one of his ranting and raving posts, but I was just having some fun.
The entire post is dedicated to alienfetus who needs to just chill out and do his part to make Zion happen!
There have been several attempts throughout history to build this type of society, but all except the City of Enoch have failed. For this dream to be realized, people would have to love their brothers as themselves. The Mormons in Jackson County Missouri tried to build Zion but failed; the reason they failed was because they didn’t listen to the commandments that were given, and some of them did not have their hearts into the job. The bottom line, EVERYBODY had to follow the rules! When the children of Israel did not follow the rules concerning gathering manna (just one or two didn’t follow the rules), the entire nation suffered.
When Moses lead the children of Israel though the Sinai, the ultimate goal was to create another city like Zion. What happened: the people sinned and did not listen! After all the miracles shown, they grumbled, complained, and did not show the faith needed. Moses sent an expedition into the present day Israel, and all but two of those sent gave good reports. With all the miracles shown them, the majority still doubted God’s power in delivering them from their enemies. Had they the courage and faith, they could have beheld the face of God just like Moses did when he was in the cloud at the summit of the mountain, and they could have also become Zion. Because of their disobedience and lack of faith, they were given the lesser priesthood (the one held by Aaron), and not the one held by Melchizedec (the one to whom Abraham paid one tenth of all his increase). The Melchizedec is the higher priesthood and the one which includes all the sealing ordinances (without father, without mother, this priesthood is from everlasting to everlasting and is co-eternal with God).
This may not help, but when Christ returns Zion will have been built once again. He shall rule from Zion, and he shall rule from Jerusalem. The people who live in Zion will not suffer from the things of poverty anymore. The interesting thing is when people follow the commandments, there will be no more poor or needy among them and Zion can thrive.
In our present day and circumstances, our government has become wasteful with our hard earned money. The democrats are very venal and can be bought by unscrupulous unions. At this point, all we can do is cut back on the spending. To continue to spend like the democrats would have us spent would have SERIOUS repercussions. I am not being hard when I say EVERYBODY must share in the burden; from the most wealthy, to the most indigent. We are going to soon experience what usury is! Sorry you didn’t like my post Mr. Alienfetus. I will continue to post, but you are free to read, or not read them.
The Conservative/Republican Party facilitated Bush/Cheney to perpetuate their crimes against humanity.
The wrong man was exucuted by hanging.
Oh, is was so good under Bush/Cheney.
Interest rates are now at it's lowest, made so by the Fed.
There is no inflation, if there was, I would receive a COLA raise on my Social Security.
Obama had to infuse the economy with money to bring our Nation out of the Bush/Cheney recession/depression.
John Edwards, get real, Tory.
Clinton bombed Iraq for trying to kill Bush's daddy, he was not a Moron and invade it.
Clinton said Iraq had WMD's because he knew Reagan gave them to Iraq, Saddam then destroyed them, like he said he did.
Callo, your comments are just more Conservative/Republican/Tory Rhetoric, Propaganda and Demagoguery.
Get real.
First off, Bush was not a conservative. Learn to tell the difference; although, in your favor, there are not many around to watch and learn from and understand the difference. Bush was at best a wishy washy moderate.
Don't forget, unemployment under Bush averaged less than 5%; is that better or worse than now? Interest rates were at record lows; better or worse? Inflation, currently rampant, was then non existent. You need to pay attention to things.
True, we had debt under Bush, but, that deficit hawk Barry Obama came in and made it 10X worse. Oh well, dirty old Bush...
Get over the Iraq stuff; it was former D VP candidate John Edwards who called Iraq an imminent threat; Bill Clinton lobbed missiles at them regularly and said that Saddam had the WMD's. Like I said, time to get over it. Over and done, and better off for it. Ever hear of Libya?
As for "entitlements" vs compassion, Compassion is voluntary, not forced and coerced by the government, so that they can take from and confiscate what I work for, for my family, and redistribute it wastefully. Our nation and state is bogged down in a welfare state mentality; we figuratively go door to door bumming money from our neighbor to pay all OUR bills; don't believe it? Obamacare-Govt. forces me to pay for everybody else. Well, my hands are full with MY responsibilities.
As for the "rich" have you ever worked for a poor person? Ever been hired at a company ran by a poor person? Thank God for the rich, for the jobs they create, the businesses they start, the money they invest, the way they drive the economy, etc...
My favorite millionaires are/were Jay Rockefeller, Ted Kennedy, Chris Dodd, Harry Reid, Al Gore, etc...
"How dare you complain, peasant! Be glad that I give you my table scraps! Bah!" It is this kind of social mentality that so desperately needs to go. A good many people depend on this "entitlement." Regardless of how lazy, old, or useless they have become over the years most often from working years in coalmines or fighting for what they thought was their country.
It's called compassion, folks. I know a lot of unentitled people may not know what that means. So let me break it down for you. It means valuing human welfare more than your bank account. It means realizing that although many misuse those food stamps, some actually need them to feed their families. I say this because I have seen it, good sir. Most people from Logan County have as well.
It's funny to me, Doctor, but wasn't George W. Bush the president before Obama? Wasn't it he who left this country in such a mess? Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. No single country did. Yet, here we are still there trying to force liberty down a country's gullet. Bush, your conservative friend, and his administration's lied to the American people about those weapons of mass destruction. Not only that, he ran up the deficit long before Obama came along as our turrrdge or whatever big, fancy word you chose to hurl at him in order to appear smart.
People like you make me ill.
On Jan. 20, 2009, all wars ended; Club Gitmo closed; everybody loves us again, and we can all plant flowers, lock arms and sing songs. Bin Laden was never killed in a country that did not attack us on 9/11, and we never bombed Libya, another country that never attacked us on 9/11.
This is, after all, what the editors at the Charleston Gazette sold to us in the run up to the 2008 election. It is the fault of people like those who run the Gazette that our nation is in the shape it is in.
Live with it, you crybabies. You asked for it, you got it.
The person - who wrote this editorial - at least by this time acknowledges we are in trouble. He says cut defense. Well...sorry Tonto...but that will not solve the problem. Gosh...I hate to say this, but the real culprit is the entitlements. Yes...Medicare, Medicaid, blah, blah, blah! Nothing is off the table...INCLUDING DEFENCE! Hey...let's start with National Public Radio, and giving billions in foreign aid to our enemies!
The Democrats were looking for a Kimosabe (Lone Ranger) to save their lazy hides. Obama was up there promising everything to everybody...but I knew he was a liar! He was their golden boy; a thaumaturge who would rescue America. For those in Logan County who may not be familiar with that word. It means a miracle worker. I think most thinking Logan County residents would cry out: hey…I wanted a thauma…but I got a turge! I would have to agree…ladies and gentlemen, we got a turge; and he will be FLUSHED down the toilet of decision in 2012, along with Michelle who was for once proud to be an American (her husband has single-handedly destroyed America with his liberal Congress.)
Posterity and history will think of Obama as the turge-in-chief! He will be remembered as a waft of noisome gas emitted from the bowels of liberalism!
I leave Logan County residents with this song by Don Mclean…enjoy:
Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie; drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry; and good ole boys were drinking whisky and rye singing this will be the day that I die; this will be the day that I die!