Obama Promises to Dismantle Our Armed Forces(?)

[Tez3]

Oh no My friend, there very much IS a middle ground. Some things are facts like did saddam violate the ceasefire?, many things are opinions, like morality and the "cost of war" 9in the terms we were discussing it earlier)

I didnt agree with EVERYTHING you said, but i understood it, and i think it is valid, from YOUR point of view.

tez,
You quoted me but your responding to Don.

My dear boy, my response is general lol.

 

[Makalakumu]

I was listening to economist Dr. Paul Craig Roberts on the radio today and he was saying that with our budget deficit and our trade deficit we are some serious economic trouble. He said, basically, if the US doesn't stop these wars, cut the military budget in half, and slam down some tarriffs in order to fix the trade deficit, the US dollar will lose its ability to be a reserve currency around the world. If this happens, you can kiss this economy good-bye. You can kiss your livlihood good-bye. You can kiss your standard of living good-bye.

The bottom line is that we simple can't afford it and one way or another, we are not going to be able to maintain this.

Unfortunately, NONE of the main three presidential candidates are pledging to do any of this. So, now what?

 

[Makalakumu]

Oh, wait, I found one.

 

[CoryKS]

Okay, a question, non political. If the Armed Forces awere to be dismantled, what would you do with all the now redundant people?

Raise the tax rates and put 'em on welfare. Instant Democratic Party voting bloc.

 

[Andrew Green]

Raise the tax rates and put 'em on welfare. Instant Democratic Party voting bloc.

Sure, because right now they aren't being paid on tax payers money, nor do they have all sorts of expensive equipment that they wouldn't need.

Chances are you could put the entire armed forces on welfare and still cut taxes quite a bit as they'd be getting less pay, and not needing all that expensive gear.

This is also assuming that all of them are completely useless outside of a military environment, which I'd call a pretty big assumption.

But even when you line all the strawmen up, I still can't see how you get a "raise taxes" out of this.

 

[Big Don]

Due to the generous wage we pay our troops, E-5's and below who are married with children qualify for food stamps. Because the democratic party fights every military pay raise.

 

[Tez3]

Due to the generous wage we pay our troops, E-5's and below who are married with children qualify for food stamps. Because the democratic party fights every military pay raise.

Do they also have to pay things like our council tax while they are away and not using the facilities it's for? Our troops also have to pay for their own life insurance as well as kit insurance. Compensation if they are wounded or killed is derisory.


http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/YourlocalcouncilandCouncilTax/CouncilTax/DG_10037383

 

[Big Don]

Do they also have to pay things like our council tax while they are away and not using the facilities it's for? Our troops also have to pay for their own life insurance as well as kit insurance. Compensation if they are wounded or killed is derisory.


http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/HomeAndCommunity/YourlocalcouncilandCouncilTax/CouncilTax/DG_10037383

There is SGLI (Servicemen's Group Life Insurance) which, when I was in was $16 per month for $200K in coverage.