Now that we have left Iraq and Afghanistan, what should we do with $200 Billion a year?

[Thunderbeast]

That is what we have been spending on our imperial adventures.

Should we

5 votes, 2 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Pay down national debt?
	0 (0%)
	Provide low cost comprehensive healthcare?
	2 (40%)
	Repair and build Infrastructure?
	0 (0%)
	Universal Basic Income?
	3 (60%)
	Improve education at all levels?
	0 (0%)
	Invest in carbon-free energy?
	0 (0%)
	Fund the arts?
	0 (0%)
	Fund third world development?
	0 (0%)
	Keep it with the Pentagon to buy new weapons?
	0 (0%)
	2 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[Aristus]

1. National Health Insurance.

While foreign aid is important to our national interest, the health of our citizens should be, as well.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. If I could have voted for more than one, I would have chosen the health care option as well.

But I couldn't. UBI is a great way to lift people out of poverty. It covers a lot of what the other options do.

Interesting poll!

[ansible]

3. That won't even make a dent out of the national debt at $28 TRILLION

I think first priority is to make damn sure the house of cards doesn't come crashing

[Voltaire2]

4. there are many things we should do but we will just give it to the MIC

[former9thward]

5. We are still in Iraq.

In July President Biden announced he would remove combat troops in Iraq by the end of the year. This was in response to a demand by the Iraq government that the U.S.get out.

[jmbar2]

6. National Housing Trusts

Invest in quality, energy efficient housing that will be kept in an affordable housing pool, and not enter the speculative housing market.

[maxsolomon]

7. It doesn't work this way.

Republicans exist.

[Champp]

8. "More tax cuts for the rich." - Republicans

[haele]

9. Oh, that $2 Billion a year has already been accounted for...

Once the decision was made to pull out of Afghanistan in 2020, the mission funds for FY21Q4 were reallocated within 6 months, and Planned Operational Management (POM) for FY22 was revised to move much of the previous Afghanistan mission funds to other operations.
I suspect a lot of that money is going to fund contract cancellations on the long-term open ended mission support by private companies over the next two years; there's generally an closing cost baked into such contracts.

The Federal Government projects funding needed to Congress 5-7 years in advance. That's all departments, not just the DoD. Since the DoD and some IC orgs owned that $2 billion originally, they get the first chance to fold it in to other funding requirements. There's a lot of different Federal organizations that have been looking at that money for a year now, and it all depends on Congressional budget allocation for the next Fiscal Year.

Haele

[Hoyt]

10. Unfortunately, we were spending debt there. So it's not newfound money. Even if it were, $200B

is like 4% of the cost of healthcare for all. Gonna take a lot more.

[chowder66]

11. Hopefully some of it will go to the Vets and refugees. nt

[IcyPeas]

12. Healthcare - hands down

people go into bankruptcy in this country when they get sick. it's outrageous.

[bdamomma]

13. Climate change

initiatives.

[lpbk2713]

14. Education is an investment in the future.

And teachers have been shafted for far too long. They should be compensated more than they are.