Wiki Graph of US/China/France/UK/Russia Military Spending

[kristopher]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures

How can anyone justify this?

[Oceansaway]

1. it's the M.I.C. we were warned about...nt

[RKP5637]

2. Recommend!!! n/t

[RKP5637]

3. Insane! n/t

[FBaggins]

4. They can't.

But why is it in E/E?

[kristopher]

7. Because in cultural theory how we spend our money determines how we adapt to the environment.

Infrastructural Determinism: The major principle of cultural materialism is that the modes of production and reproduction determine structure and structure determines superstructure. The argument that priority should be given to infrastructure is based in the idea that society adapts to the environment through infrastructural practices.

[FBaggins]

8. Then how many DU categories DON'T impact the environment? n/t

[bananas]

11. Pro-nukes always try to censor the discussion

For example, proliferation is widely recognized as one of the major problems with nuclear energy,
yet pro-nukes continually alert on any post about proliferation.

[FBaggins]

17. I agreed with the OP... I merely asked why it was here rather than somewhere else.

I presume that DU has topic areas for a reason.

Why not national security or economy or (if we have one) foreign policy? Why not "general" to pick up a wider audience.

Plenty of people who would likely be interested in the thread who won't see it here.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bananas]

13. They can all be discussed in the context of environment and energy.

The simple fact that it was posted in the E/E forum establishes the context.
A disruptor would try to hijack the thread instead of discussing the issues.

[FBaggins]

18. If you want to reduce the perception that anti-nukes are paranoid...

...you might stop acting like every post has a nefarious purpose.

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bananas]

16. I think Bush's "nukes for mangoes" had more to do with neocon military objectives than energy

It was set up to enable India to expand its nuclear weapons program.

[kristopher]

19. It is a matter of basic values.

While some people say that you can't determine if one kind of social system is better or worse than another social system, it really isn't true. What is required however, is for there to be a value related goal established before analysis begins. If we know what the goal is then it is usually very easy to determine in general terms the effective and ineffective ways to the goal.

When you have a set of values that enables you to justify this kind of military establishment spending, then the choice you make as to which of the available energy systems is preferable pretty much becomes a foregone conclusion.

Of course, there are other goals attached to other sets of values that will not make those same choices. It is my opinion that those two dynamics are nearly as fundamental to human cultural systems as are sexual roles. We're approaching the environmental limits of expansion and need to enter a period of consolidation built around a rapid transition to sustainable practices.

[Jim__]

5. Maybe there's room to address some of our deficit problems here.

Is Paul Ryan aware of this? :sarcasm:

[Warren Stupidity]

6. That is a fucking obscenity.

Back when England Ruled, they gauged their military (primarily naval) budget based on the spending of the next two largest military powers. We outspend the next ten.

[Lasher]

9. Why is it that our elected Democrats are increasing defense spending again this year?

Why are Senate Democrats saying they would be willing to raise the Social Security retirement age yet again? Why are Medicare and Medicaid on the table, after we extended the Bush tax cuts just this past December?

Rhetorical questions. We need some serious house cleaning.

[Warren Stupidity]

12. Must.. Keep. Us. Safe. Very. Scared.

[bananas]

22. Pork and campaign financing. nt

[Nihil]

29. That's what you get with single party politics ...

"Serious house cleaning"?

How about "raze it to the ground to get rid of the infestation"
as that's what's needed?

:shrug:

[GliderGuider]

30. +1

"Single party politics" is a very good description of your current situation. I think Canada is approaching that sorry state as well. We now have just the Federal Party (aka the Conservative/Liberal/NDP convergence) and the Separatist Party (the Bloc Quebecois). Outside of Quebec there is virtually no choice in Canadian politics either.

[G_j]

10. K&R

[Curmudgeoness]

14. This can't be justified. You have to wonder why Congress refuses

to address this issue, and why they will do nothing to rein this in.

Tell me, do you feel safer now that you know this?

[txlibdem]

15. K & R

The USA has gone off the rails on the crazy train for sure.

[Poboy]

23. R'd

[Bigmack]

24. I disagree with the numbers for US spending....

Chris Hellman makes a very good case for US spending on "defense" and Fatherland Security totaling $1.2 Trillion per year.

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175361/tomgram%3A_chris_hellman,_$1.2_trillion_for_national_security/

[kristopher]

25. I wouldn't doubt it for a second.

The numbers in the graph are, of course, designed to be compared across a variety of countries. But we should not forget how deeply the military commitment guides the rest of our decisions about spending.

Thanks.

[indepat]

26. Would be seemingly ludicrous without realizing much MIC spending involves, not defense, but

spreading the Gospel and achieving global hegemony. :patriot:

[GliderGuider]

27. You can't build an empire with out breaking a few heads

and high-tech headbreakers are spensive!

[Nihil]

28. K & R

I suspect that the numbers are even worse than that
but there is no "justification" possible even at the
levels quoted in the OP.

:-(

[Scuba]

31. Notice Saudi Arabia... 11.2% of GNP compared to 4.7 by US....

UAE 7.3

Israel 6.3

Iraq 5.4

Jordan 6.1

Eritria 20.9 (like they can afford it)

Chad 6.2

Oman 9.7

Georgia 5.6



Nobody else is over 5%

Gee, I wonder if I do enough exhaustive research, I can find any commonalities.