What Would You Spend $45 Billion A Year On?

a reply to: grubblesnert

We do have the circus like Rome did but now its in DC, everything from crucifixion of your opponents, to the feedind of your friends to the lions.

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

That money could be used to eradicate homelessness in all of North America.
Shelter, amenities, and training to integrate back into society.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: AnakinWayneII

Absolutely nothing.
We are running a deficit so I wouldn't borrow the money.

And I do think we should bring all of our troops home and save the money.

Ummm...hear...hear...


We should cease and desist all foreign incursions...a four year drawdown should suffice...that being said...that money would then temporarily be allocated into transitional programs to ensure every returning service member has 100% everything they need to make that transition painlessly...

We should then provide for every single vet that lives on the street...transition them back into healthy society...

Think about all the infrastructure that needs refreshing or rebuilding...Give returning vets and vets in general...an across the board guarantee...to employment...

Unless they’re scumbag wannabe gangsta’s...with a penchant for voting leftist...hiding behind their masks...like good little fascists...

Unless they’re them...of course...


We should take care of our own...it’s time to draw them down...

There are much better ways to project strength that don’t include...boots on the ground...





YouSir

a reply to: YouSir


Pretty much!

Any politician in office should be required to answer the question, "Why are you willing to bring in MORE, when you have been a failure of taking care of those "citizens" you took an oath to represent?".

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

I'd spend it on war, but I'd claim spoils to make the wars ultimately pay for themselves.

I am STRONGLY against stopping foreign aid to the poorest of countries, especially those hit by natural disasters, disease, wars (civil or otherwise), etc. I'm talking especially countries with yearly average household below $1000 per home. These countries are often 98% incapable of helping themselves out of these holes and often their situation is the result of western countries in one way or another (sending weapons, corporations raping their countries, unfulfilled promises after receiving mineral/mining/farming contracts for decades - then abandoned after things go bad - often b/c US wants regime change). None of these countries need $45 billion to fix the entire country, 1-5% would make a MASSIVE difference. I think these countries should have serious consideration for help.

I think Afghanistan is a quagmire that is going to be a constant back and forth. Only a fool woudl think we are going to make a permanent and long lasting change. These people can wait out 10 years like people in the US wait for an Uber. and in the mean time bankrupt the US. The BEST method is to give them a MUCH smaller amount of money than we pay for military, like $250-750 million in aid that is STRICTLY over-seen as to how it is spent, all spent through local contractors/builders/etc with western engineers overseeing the quality control to ensure things are done correctly - maybe through US Army Corps of Engineers. I suggest spending on things like building schools, hospitals, clinics, roads (or fixing/bettering existing roads), air fields even for small planes in remote areas, drilling wells, building irrigation ditches, digging cisterns and anything that will help them build their economy and become self sufficient. DO NOT ship them GMO bulk foods from all over the world, which can kill the demand for local crops.

What we need is VERY strict laws on embezzlement and fraud for people handling government, NGO and charity money meant for "poor" countries. They should face justice from the countries that the money was supposed to help, not the country from which they came. This woudl be a death sentence for a lot of thieves, which I have no problem with, especially when some steal such massive amounts. If the charities are based in the US and they promise to send to Africa, Asia, etc and keep 95-98% (sally struthers I think did this), then she should be sent there for trial.

If we are a global community, like corporations are global, a US based charity raising money for Afghanistan is a US company, but it is really an Afghan charity - thus should fall under their criminal justice for theft. After a few people get their hands chopped off, hung, beheaded, buried up to their heads and stoned, me thinks there will be many less people thieving from the poorest of the poor.

a reply to: DigginFoTroof



Ummm...your forgetting one very motivating factor...poppies..


There is a...yuuuuuuuuuuuuge...deep state demand for the produce of those particular fields...

If I was ICE...i’d Watch out for a hit on that fentanyl stockpile they have...a hit by three letter players...







YouSir

I guess they should have invested in a time viewing machine in order to look at the future like in the Ben Affleck movie Paycheck. Anything else is a waste.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: AnakinWayneII

Absolutely nothing.
We are running a deficit so I wouldn't borrow the money.

And I do think we should bring all of our troops home and save the money.

Basically the same thing I was thinking. Cutting the unnecessary military pork from the overall budget alone would go a long way toward getting out of the red & into the black. It wouldn't go all the way in one swoop, it wouldn't get us there in one fiscal year, but it would be a running start out the gate.

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

www.unodc.org...

At current levels, world heroin consumption (340 tons) and seizures represent an annual flow of 430-450 tons of heroin into the global heroin market. Of that total, opium from Myanmar and the Lao People's Democratic Republic yields some 50 tons, while the rest, some 380 tons of heroin and morphine, is produced exclusively from Afghan opium. While approximately 5 tons are consumed and seized in Afghanistan, the remaining bulk of 375 tons is trafficked worldwide via routes flowing into and through the countries neighbouring Afghanistan.

They're there with their unaccountable mercenary armies protecting their Taxpayer funded lucrative trade.

Ain't gonna happen - too many politicians fattening their retirement accounts in secret bank accounts as the Paradise Papers leaks showed.


www.icij.org...

Keep dreaming about our Governments being held accountable. Or spending that $45 billion on its own peeps.

Lol Lol Lol

Oh and by the way
en.wikipedia.org...

According to a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report published in October 2007, the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could cost taxpayers a total of $2.4 trillion by 2017 when counting the huge interest costs because combat is being financed with borrowed money.


It pays to dig a little deeper than the MSM headlines..........

a reply to: gortex

A Moon base.

Are they now being given permission to build one now? Weren't they warned off by the Aliens back in the 70's?

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

British mate , I'l just take them the gift of tea and we can discuss it over a brew ,everything will be fine.

If not spending it is not an option, the ONE THING governments are actually good for. Upgrading and maintaining existing infrastructure.

No "new" bridges or roads, but replacing and upgrading the ones we already have.

That’s a good price for all that delicious heroine we’re helping them manufacture.

a reply to: gortex

Yeah I know you're British, just don't proffer them aliens Blood pudding or eels , or they may make the rest of the Planet pay.

originally posted by: DigginFoTroof
I am STRONGLY against stopping foreign aid to the poorest of countries, especially those hit by natural disasters, disease, wars (civil or otherwise), etc. I'm talking especially countries with yearly average household below $1000 per home. These countries are often 98% incapable of helping themselves out of these holes and often their situation is the result of western countries in one way or another (sending weapons, corporations raping their countries, unfulfilled promises after receiving mineral/mining/farming contracts for decades - then abandoned after things go bad - often b/c US wants regime change). None of these countries need $45 billion to fix the entire country, 1-5% would make a MASSIVE difference. I think these countries should have serious consideration for help.

I think Afghanistan is a quagmire that is going to be a constant back and forth. Only a fool woudl think we are going to make a permanent and long lasting change. These people can wait out 10 years like people in the US wait for an Uber. and in the mean time bankrupt the US. The BEST method is to give them a MUCH smaller amount of money than we pay for military, like $250-750 million in aid that is STRICTLY over-seen as to how it is spent, all spent through local contractors/builders/etc with western engineers overseeing the quality control to ensure things are done correctly - maybe through US Army Corps of Engineers. I suggest spending on things like building schools, hospitals, clinics, roads (or fixing/bettering existing roads), air fields even for small planes in remote areas, drilling wells, building irrigation ditches, digging cisterns and anything that will help them build their economy and become self sufficient. DO NOT ship them GMO bulk foods from all over the world, which can kill the demand for local crops.

What we need is VERY strict laws on embezzlement and fraud for people handling government, NGO and charity money meant for "poor" countries. They should face justice from the countries that the money was supposed to help, not the country from which they came. This woudl be a death sentence for a lot of thieves, which I have no problem with, especially when some steal such massive amounts. If the charities are based in the US and they promise to send to Africa, Asia, etc and keep 95-98% (sally struthers I think did this), then she should be sent there for trial.

If we are a global community, like corporations are global, a US based charity raising money for Afghanistan is a US company, but it is really an Afghan charity - thus should fall under their criminal justice for theft. After a few people get their hands chopped off, hung, beheaded, buried up to their heads and stoned, me thinks there will be many less people thieving from the poorest of the poor.

$4.5 billion is the amount in foreign aid given to Afghanistan each year. The annual 45 billion dollars is the amount spent on the US military operations and campaigns in the country and actually keeping troops in the country.

I am referring to the latter, not the former.

You? You're the Federal Government. What do you spend the $45 billion a year on instead?

New yachts and 3rd homes..

The usual.

AnakinWayneII

Humanity.

Next.

I'd like to see it go to space exploration projects.