What does the Federal Government do for us?

[TomClash]

Where I live taxes are high, but I get a beautiful park, garbage collection, excellent fire and police protection, decent social programs and so on. So I don't really mind paying state and local taxes - in fact, even though I'm at the high end - I think it's a bargain.

I pay most of my taxes to the GOP Feds and what do I get for it? A war I don't support, social security I might never collect, a military that doesn't protect the "Homeland" (see 9/11), interest on the national debt that I don't receive, gutted national parks that will soon be drilled. Plus, as has been pointed out here, most of the taxes I pay feed the red states.

So what do I get for my fed tax dollars? Not much. Ok, kids get some money for college, which is a good thing. I get weather reports, some limited environmental and labor protection and some other worthwhile things that cost about 30% of the taxes I pay.

Not much of a bargain if you ask me.

[shaolinmonkey]

1. You get lots of really big bombs and missiles

to drop on "the enemy". We have an obscene defense budget.

[TomClash]

2. I know

but what do we get from it any more?

[shaolinmonkey]

3. We get to be safe from the Soviet Union.

Uh, wait...

It's ridiculous, isn't it? If we really wanted to stop terrorism, we could do it in a much more cost-effective manner. It's all about good human intelligence. Disrupt the cells.

Or better yet, give would-be terrorists hope through aide, food, medicine, infrastructure, etc. People with hope don't blow themselves up.

[TomClash]

4. Wait Diplomacy? Intelligence? A sensible foreign policy?

Congratulations! You have a brain!