Was Donald Trump right? Is the mainstream media really "Fake News"?

[Hydro Junkie]

The role of the military is to enact/support the government's international policy. How it does so is by power projection or, if necessary, through military action. Obviously, military action should be used as a last resort. Intimidation and military actions have become a first choice tactic for other countries with some success in obtaining their goals

 

[Steve White]

The role of the military is to enact/support the government's international policy. How it does so is by power projection or, if necessary, through military action. Obviously, military action should be used as a last resort. Intimidation and military actions have become a first choice tactic for other countries with some success in obtaining their goals

Superimpose Military Solutions upon Political Failures.

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Now Steve, we have to at least try to give the impression that this thread has a positive tone to it, don't we?

 

[Steve White]

Now Steve, we have to at least try to give the impression that this thread has a positive tone to it, don't we?

I'm in!

He won hands down... I even retracted "Butthurt" as a gesture of good faith.

 

[Brad Christy]

Based on your comment, it appears you don't comprehend what the 'military industrial complex' is about.
We suggest you go listen to Eisenhower's speech in that regard.

The mention of 'China, Russia and several other countries aren't, at the very least, keeping pace with us is staggering' is relevant how?....through espionage?....
In 2023, the United States spent $905.5 billion on defense, which is more than the next 15 countries combined. This includes China, which is second with $219.5 billion, and Russia, which is third.
That's keeping pace???....

NO one knows for certain what the US capability truly is....and we've made no mention about the black budget. The known defense budget is the tip of the iceberg. Fact.

Unbelievable.

Don,

I guess this perfectly explains why both China and Russia have been outpacing us in technological advancements for quite some time. Comparing State capitalist (pseudo-communist) spending to capitalist spending is ridiculous. Reagan told Gorbachev that the US would win the Cold War by outspending them. And so we did. And so we must to keep up.

Wars cost money. They don't make money. FACT. Even if suppliers get paid.

Seriously?? The industrial/military complex is and has been a well oiled money making machine with deep back door involvement from our own government for decades. Don't get me wrong a I'm all about a strong, wickedly strong U.S. military but wars make HUGE money. Vietnam had LBJ and his cronies heavily invested in Boeing, Grumman and Lockheed/Martin (companies who each made tons of $$ in that mess) and they stood to lose big if JFK pulled our involvement like he said he was going to do. We could have ended Vietnam long before we finally left but there was much money to be made (example-Boeing made $30 billion, Lockheed almost $60 billion). More recently we had the Gulf wars and tons of money made by Cheney and his buddies invested in Haliburton and many others. I want a U.S. military that can knock the snot out of any of our advisories but sadly our politicians and military suppliers put profit first over everything else including the lives of our soldiers......

Don,

I guess this perfectly explains why both China and Russia have been outpacing us in technological advancements, considerably, for quite some time....? Comparing State capitalist (pseudo-communist) spending to capitalist spending is ridiculous. They don't pay for the hardware they produce. Stacking dollar for dollar is utterly non-representative of reality. Reagan told Gorbachev that the US would win the Cold War by outspending them. And so we did. And so we must if we hope to keep up. Like I said... Another comma, not just another digit, in our defense budget wouldn't be enough.

Wars cost money. They don't make money. Yes. They put money in the pockets of suppliers. And hunger puts money in the hands of farmers. That's how it works. But we can examine the leading contributors to poverty across the globe, and wars are the outstanding leading factor, and without even a real contender from second place.

What we can agree on it the level of interventionalism we engage in. But I shutter to think what would happen "out there" if we didn't mind our interests, and allowed the animals to have their way with the jungle unattended to.

Thanks. Brad.