Nation "Too Broke" for Universal Healthcare to Spend $406 Billion More on F-35 (Common Dreams)

[eppur_se_muova]

There always another $27 billion or lying around, it seems, when Lockheed Martin needs more money for expensive weapons system
by
Jon Queally, staff writer

The nation's most expensive weapons program isn't done showing U.S. taxpayers how much it will ultimately cost them, with Bloomberg reporting Monday that the F-35 fighter jet budget is now predicted to jump by a cool $27 billion.

Though the estimated future cost of the program had previously hovered at a mind-boggling $379 billion, an updated draft that could be submitted to Congress as early as today will reportedly exceed $406 billion—a nearly 7 percent increase.

The new cost increases may come as a hit to President Donald Trump, who has bragged about his ability to get weapons manufacturers to offer the Pentagon "better deals."

Rob Garver, national correspondent for the Fiscal Times, made the point this way:

So. Much. Winning.https://t.co/P9Gl2aHfwO

— Rob Garver (@rrgarver) July 10, 2017

Others simply pointed out how ridiculous it is that a weapons program so fraught with failures is allowed to receive such outlandish funding when lawmakers—mostly Republicans, but also many Democrats—continue to argue that the nation is "too broke" to increase spending on social programs that improve education or healthcare.

We got fucking liberals out here saying single-payer is impossible but remaining pretty quiet on the F-35 being a money pit.

— Royal (@royaltheartist) July 10, 2017

The F-35 will never, ever be used. Think about it's $405 billion price tag when a family member dies of a preventable disease. Get angry.

— Royal (@royaltheartist) July 10, 2017

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https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/07/10/nation-too-broke-universal-healthcare-spend-406-billion-more-f-35

[Wellstone ruled]

1. Matter of

priorities. Got to keep the Military industrial complex funded.

[YOHABLO]

2. I am angry. I sometimes think I'm the only one who is angry. Anger is a great motivator.

[BigmanPigman]

3. Every night I feel like shouting out my window,

"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!"

By the time this is over my ulcers will have ulcers.

[kacekwl]

4. I always love it when I hear

we can't afford healthcare , single payer , Medicare for all what ever you want to call it. Especially here from Democratic party members.

[LakeArenal]

5. Ever since Bush's war..

I never believe them about money.. We only have enough money to give billionaires money. How much did we pay Cheney's Haliburton? More than enough to pay for healthcare for all, I am sure.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

6. Sickening isn't it

[Blue_Tires]

7. The F-35 will "never be used?" But it's in service now!

And the country isn't "too broke" for healthcare, that's just a strawman argument... Blame the GOP who would rather set fire to the federal reserve instead of use that money to help people. Blame Cheney who decided to kill production of the still-unmatched F-22A because reasons (If we still had F-22 production and the FB-22 became a reality, then the F-35A would have been unnecessary and LockMart could have greatly streamlined things by only building the F-35B and F-35C... Of course this is where I pour some cold water on the F-35 hatefest by pointing out the total costs of all the different airframes it's replacing, how much more expensive it would be to follow Trump's dumbassed, unoriginal plan (which was proposed by a non-aviation blogger, naturally) to convert the F/A-18F to 5th-generation standard with stealth capabilities, but let's be honest -- No one gives a shit...