Imagine having this instead of a $740,000,000,000 military budget.

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

[bullimiami]

1. Why do Democrats keep going along with this bloated and corrupt Defense Budget.

Id cut the damn thing in half for starters.

Then tell the Pentagon they need to come back with a real accounting of where the money is going before the next budget.

[rurallib]

4. jobs

[Hoyt]

6. Not endorsing it, but the MIC offers some of the best jobs and

investment returns in this country. Not likely to change. And truthfully, we are probably lucky we had a powerful military when trump ticked off most of the world these last 4 years.

In any event, we could definitely take a big chunk out of the military budget to help fund healthcare. But, it would only be a start.

[bullimiami]

13. Id like some proof that 750 BILLION dollars worth of jobs are created.

[albacore]

18. We spend more...in constant dollars..on "defense" now than we did at the height of the Cold War....

when we had a Superpower adversary.
We have over 700 bases all over the world.
We haven't won a war since 1945.

Maybe it's time to re-think our Foreign Policy....
I don't think the World Colossus role fits us anymore.
Especially after trump.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-rein-in-inflated-military-budgets/

[bullimiami]

19. I dont think that money is going to make us a world colossus. the old adage fraud, waste and abuse

should be taken to heart here.

i think money is thrown at the pentagon and they take very lightly the notion of making sure value is gotten for the taxpayer dollars.

this crap goes on high and low.
ive see plenty who take advantage of expense accounts and not worrying about price paid because its corporate money.
then you have those who take care of the company money like it was their own wallet.

i want an entire government, including a defense dept, that sees every dollar as if its the countries precious resource and should be spent wisely.

[Yavin4]

11. The military is the only institution that gets bi-partisan support. n/t

[pat_k]

2. it is possible to create the political will.

Not overnight, but if we aren't working to build political consensus NOW we will NEVER get there.

This is in fact our government. We the people can shape it, IF we choose. We can "walk and chew gum" at the same time. That is, we can work on an immediate "doable" agenda while speaking out loud and proud for the meaningful changes we REALLY need to create "a more perfect union" Americans could actually be proud of.

Most thoughts here:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1017&pid=620481

And if you need a little inspiration, some great quotes here:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=14606649

[MuseRider]

3. Back in the 70's

when I worked in the lab as a phlebotomist on my way to nursing school our hospital used a tube system. It was really wonderful. Everything got where it needed to go quickly, we did not need to send people running all over the place not knowing what was the most important thing to deliver or losing or mistaking where things went. I hated when they decided to "upgrade" everything and the tube system was discarded. I like the uniform deal too. We grabbed our scrubs out of a pile or bought our own and took them home to wash. Talk about a bad infection control system! Anyway, most of that is pretty cool.

[Hoyt]

7. Back in the 80s I worked at a hospital that had the tube system and this big chain system that would

send supply carts flying all over the hospital.

When I went to interview there, they showed me that system, it was super impressive like going to a carnival. Came to find out, that they only turned it on for "dignitaries" (which I was not one, just a graduate student looking for a job), the media, donors, etc., because it just didn't work very well. Cracked me up, but taught me not to believe anyone putting on a show.

I think the kept the tube system, though.

[volstork]

9. Every hospital I've ever worked in

since medical school has a tube system. The supply robots are cool, though!

[MuseRider]

15. LOL, that figures.

Those were the last days of heath care actually caring about health. What we call health care here is a pitiful excuse, it is all about the money and the losers are the patients in every way possible. Lately I have had some experience with a hospital who even the nursing care was all about the the hospital making money. My friend never saw one, even when he called for one unless it was time to bring in something that was chargeable.

[SheltieLover]

5. Wow!

[CrispyQ]

8. +1

[Yeehah]

10. Our imperial war budget will be the downfall of this nation

As we neglect public education and health, we become a nation of unhealthy idiots. Uneducated citizens, incapable of critical thinking, are vulnerable to fascist propaganda. The empire will fall from within.

[Yavin4]

12. There are huge stretches of massive poverty all throughout the U.S.

What exactly is our military protecting? It's not people. It's capital.

[crickets]

14. +1

[Klaralven]

16. Scrub Bank and ScrubX

[Buckeye_Democrat]

17. Military Keynesianism

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Keynesianism

The economy started to slow down again a few years after WW2, and our government chose the economic stimulus from military-industrial funding over infrastructure spending.


Never mind that improvements in infrastructure provide longer-lasting returns on investment!

[Calculating]

20. Somehow our military turned into a giant government funded jobs program

Which would be ok if our country wasn't broke, and if we didn't need that money for green energy or infrastructure.