LTTE rough draft -- Socialism? How much soldier can I afford?
I just got this idea and thought I would rough this out before I submitted it to my local (RW) paper.
Your edits, opinions, and thoughts are appreciated.
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Socialism? How much "soldier" can I afford?
There has been much discussion recently about "socialism" and "socialized medicine" bandied about regardless of the fact that insurance is still provided by private sector providers, still with at least 20% overhead. National security has been emphasized to the point that NORAD will now accompany Santa on their tracker with two fighter jets.
I served in the US Army Cavalry for my contract of 3 years.
My wife and I have a comfortable living. We have good jobs. We take vacations. We have daycare for our daughter. We have healthcare coverage. We have one car payment for two cars.
We pay about 11% in Federal taxes, roughly $12,000 a year in total. The Department of Defense spending is about 50% of the Federal spending outlays (Social Security is not a Federal outlay - it is self sufficient) . So, without pooling the resources of all taxpayers we would need to pay $6,000 for our personal national defense. How much "soldier" can I get for $6,000?
Disclaimer - Cost estimation excludes the 13 US Navy Aircraft carriers, food, clothing, and lodging (Third Amendment of the US Constitution), and cost-plus contractor fees....oh and drones - How much drone can I get for $6,000?