The yearly US defence budget is nearly the amount we would
need to feed and educate every child on earth for 5 years

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62 Responses to “Everything is Relative”
  1. John Identicon Icon John UNITED STATES says:

    And what ? Am I suppose to feel gulity now ? So far God has Blessed America will see what the future holds won`t we ?
    O`h yeah I`m think`n your numbers are way off too !

    • Xen Identicon Icon Xen UNITED KINGDOM says:

      God has done crap all. People have and always do.

      Except however that people are also bound by circumstance. And finding a nice, almost empty, resource rich continent with only a few tribes at a much lower technological level sure helps, if you know what I mean.

      • Josh~ Identicon Icon Josh~ SWEDEN says:

        Indeed. The funniest part is how they freak about the “aliens” from Mexico “invading” their country (to do the jobs they feel to good for to make them) and totally ignore the fact that they don’t own their country, that they brutally stole it from it’s native inhabitants.

        • Scott Identicon Icon Scott UNITED STATES says:

          Josh,

          Before you let your anti-Americanism to get too strong, please remember that the “they” that stole America from the native inhabitants were all the English, Germans, Irish, Scandinavians, Polish, Italians, etc,, etc, etc, that came here. Colonialism is a European creation. Ask the Ojibwe Nation in northern Minnesota how well they are getting along with all the descendants of Scandinavians there. America is like most other countries, with a lot to be ashamed of in its history, but also a lot to be proud of. Only the Swiss have a perfect history, but they are sooooo boring.

          • Josh~ Identicon Icon Josh~ SWEDEN says:

            So when Americans did something bad they were actually Europeans but when they are proud about something they are Americans? Doesn’t really work this way. American settlers swept away a whole bunch of cultures to take their land and now they freak out about some Mexicans who want to work in the USA because they (the Americans) think they own the land and can decide who sets a foot on it and who not.

            Sure, countries like England, Spain, Portugal etc. did horrible things to the natives living in their colonies too — the difference is that they don’t act about it like it was something to be proud of, something to build a nation upon.

            Americas history began with slaughter in the name of the benefit of the Americans and America never stopped being that selfish monster until today.

            Yes, most countries have their dark history and many systems of today are just as bad as the American one but the USA is the only state which is ignorant enough to celebrate itself for pretty much everything they’re not.

          • Scott Identicon Icon Scott UNITED STATES says:

            Josh,

            If you promise to not judge all Americans by the rantings of our right-wing idiots, I promise to not judge all Swedish music by Abba.

          • Josh~ Identicon Icon Josh~ SWEDEN says:

            I know, I know, as I said: I’m aware of the fact that the decisions made by American politicians are not backed by the whole population.

  2. stewart Identicon Icon stewart UNITED STATES says:

    Here are the figures:

    For the 2009 fiscal year, the base budget of the Department of Defense rose to $518.3 billion. Adding emergency discretionary spending, supplemental spending, and stimulus spending brings the sum to $651.2 billion. Defense-related expenditures outside of the Department of Defense constitute between $274 billion and $493 billion in additional spending, bringing the total for defense spending to between $925 billion and $1.14 trillion in 2009.

    These are US government figures and easy to verify.

    I can’t speak to the total amounts it would take to feed and educate every child on earth, but even gong by the cost of feeding a child in the US (I have three kids, myself), it seems well within the order of magnitude. Given that it is much cheaper to feed a child in many other countries, then the figures seem well within the realm of possibility.

    I don’t think feeling guilty is the point — after all, did you create the US Defense Budget (if you did, please let us know how you did that!!!). Rather, in a democracy the people are supposed to remain in touch with how we choose to use our resources.

    Astronomers are working very hard at the moment to raise one billion dollars to build a new observatory — the commentary in the recent issue of Science is that it is a daunting prospect to get that kind of money — almost impossible. What is that compared to our Defense Budget — it is really amazing.

    Stewart

  3. MistyXag Identicon Icon MistyXag COLOMBIA says:

    The real question is…
    whats the real cost of using slave children?

    Cos honestly… shoes don’t seem to be any more cheaper
    XD

    Still lovely vid.

    • Grim Identicon Icon Grim UNITED STATES says:

      Exploitation! Ask Nike how much it cost to make a sneaker. USA unemployment is at 10.8%! These kids are putting me out of my US job! Thanks corporate America! And I’m one of there 10.8 % that are out of a job thanks Americas unions!

      U.S. Military Spent, 1946–2009, 22 trillion dollar building america into what it is today. I don’t understand why we are going broke! :(

  4. ABD Identicon Icon ABD UNITED STATES says:

    I love Radiohead…

  5. pat Identicon Icon pat MEXICO says:

    Boy with money VS Boy without money

    Boy= human beings

    Money = PROBLEM

    It’s amazing, we’d have the same kind of video but of how every family cultivates, feeds and raises their own children. And probably Asians would be better off, given that they’re used to manufacturing all sorts of things since young as it’s commonly appreciated.

    Stop this madness now. You do not have to be a part of it. You cannot change the world, not because it doesn’t want to be changed (all though such levels of conformist hypocrisy exist -particularly in my country) but because history has proven that those in command will do everything in their realm of control to stop things from changing. After all, how is one more atomic bomb terrible? we just want to prove a point- yee haaa!

    We are in the verge of a massive social revolution. It has all ready begun in some countries, and it wont take long for it to arrive to your own doorstep. Older people, the most capable (economically and resourcefully) are unfortunately too accustomed to the way things are (like good ol’ john here, who refuses to believe that world problems should affect him if he was blessed by the Lord after all).

    However, if you find yourself living your first or second decade, it is in your hands to decide what to do with your life, and start changing the way people ignorantly think.

    Get out of the big cities! Flee modern economy! Use a bike -fuck fossil fuels. Look for alternative solutions EVERYWHERE. Dedicate a few minutes to contemplate the sky, or the moon, or the sun, or the clouds- hopefully you’ll realize how this is not your planet to control. Look for the bigger picture. Look for the smaller picture, look how bugs make nature go round. Read about sustainable development and FREE TRADE. Read about non violent revolutions. Read about that 3/4 of the world denominated the THIRD WORLD. Read about failed states and who labels them such. Ponder on how much logic it makes that ONE man has the destiny of 307,870,000 lives upon his hands. Read about small communities. Believe in the family as the perfect social circle. Research how much this system fucks families. Concentrate on the facts.

    How many people die each hour of starvation, of aids, of bullet wounds?

    How much has the divorce popularity risen among the world population in the last 10 years.

    How much has homosexuality increased in the past decades?

    How has the ability of self-journalism, aided by youtube, helped to raise social awareness?

    WHY ARE YOU HERE, WHERE DID WE COME FROM, WHERE ARE WE GOING?

    Think further!

    This world economy, the rate in which we are consuming earth resources, climate change, and technological maths prove that if we don’t do something, the children of our children will wake up to hell on earth.

    CHANGE NOW. LEAVE THE SYSTEM. BE PRO LIFE, AGAINST DESTRUCTION.

  6. horselips Identicon Icon horselips UNITED STATES says:

    Sure puts the lie to the ridiculous assumptions of multiculturalists who hold all cultures in equal esteem. Funny how the secrets of our success – our Constitution and laws founded in capitalism, liberty and Chrisrtianity – all free for the asking – are passed on in favor of totalitarianism, depravity and brutality. Given that, the Pentagon budget needs to be dramatically increased, maybe even doubled. Whatever it takes to keep all of them, and their way of life, far away from me and mine. Xenophon was right – they really are barbarians.

    • Xen Identicon Icon Xen UNITED KINGDOM says:

      You mean Liberty & Capitalism.

      Christianity is a middle eastern concept that never had any play, and which is of cource AGAINST Liberty AND capitalism.

      The Pentagon is a bunch of leeches, a bureocratic government within government, that has gone over its trully useful budget long ago.

  7. Justin Identicon Icon Justin UNITED STATES says:

    Why is it always America? Why not U.K.? Germany?, France? Canada? Why do people of the world have to throw stuff like this in our face? I guess the world needs somebody to blame so they blame us. I am blessed to have a roof over my head, food on the table, clothes to wear and a bed to sleep in all because MY PARENTS worked hard to get this for me. Making sure I have a good education and when I am older to go and live a good life and work so that one day I can support my family. People live the way they do mostly by choice, they can change it if the really wanted to. I could go on but what’s the point?

  8. Keiran Identicon Icon Keiran UNITED STATES says:

    A defense budget between 0.5 and 1.14 trillion, and yet even in the US we can’t manage to feed and educate everyone.

    Some quick math using the 2000 census numbers: we spend beteen 1600 and 3400 USD per US citizen on our defense budget annually. It wouldn’t be the highest quality food, but that money is enough to feed everyone (including adults) in this country.

  9. Astro Identicon Icon Astro CANADA says:

    I just want to add my support for the points made by Stewart and Keiran. The idea behind this video (and I think it’s a really good video) is not to make people feel guilty, but to empower them with the knowledge of how things could, and should, be different. That’s how change starts.

  10. Scott Identicon Icon Scott UNITED STATES says:

    Our huge defense budget is a result of World War II and the Cold War. I think overall America did a good job handling both, but we went horribly wrong after we lost the Soviet Union as “our enemy” in 1989. The Military-Industrial complex that President Eisenhower warned about in 1960, has asserted its power through the Republican Party by making an alliance with Christian zealots and non-military corporations to exploit the fears of the American public.

    Throughout its history, America has always been a rather lawless, and therefore fearful, country. We have also regularly flirted with Fascism — the Red Scare of the 1920’s, the reaction to F.D. Roosevelt in the 1930’s, McCarthyism in the 1950’s, our support of foreign dictatorships and some of Reagen’s secret foreign policy initiatives in the 1980’s, and, of course, George W. Bush, a proto-fascist if there ever was one in American politics.

    Even Barack Obama seems to be entrapped by the Military-Industrial Complex that Eisenhower talked about. It is still too early to judge, however, which direction he will go. Let us hope.

  11. Lonnie Identicon Icon Lonnie UNITED STATES says:

    I love how you liberals contrast apples and oranges. How does defending America have anything to do with
    educating every child on the planet? Will they come to our defense if we educate them?
    I’m for cutting the defense budget when our enemies lay down their arms (trust but inspect) and men like that
    shit head in Iran and Vensuala have a complete change of heart about anhillating us and Israel.

    • bahamuth Identicon Icon bahamuth CHILE says:

      OMG!! pleasee
      how is it that nobody noticed!
      IT’S VENEZUELA, NOT VENESUALA!!!

      and you Americans complain that the world sees you as ignorants!!

      and @John, America is not the most powerfull country in the world because it was blessed by “god”, but because you have been stealing and sacking arround the world since WWII

      • Lonnie Identicon Icon Lonnie UNITED STATES says:

        Sorry that I misspelled the name of your country, bahamuth.

        So America has been stealing and sacking around the world since WWII? May I call your attention
        to the fact that America continues to spend treasury and blood to fight for peoples’ freedom, i.e.,
        Korean, Viet Nam, Irag, etc. You might also check the records to see how much we’ve spent on
        foreign aid since WWII. And remember, that’s Americans’ tax money that we give towards our
        efforts for liberty. Thank you for listening. Now check the facts.

        • bahamuth Identicon Icon bahamuth CHILE says:

          It’s not my country, im from Chile, as you can see by the flag at the side of my nickname.

          and America only fights “for people’s freedom” as you say, because it’s on their best interests, or you really think your country invaded irak (not irag) to free it’s people??? and iraki people didn’t even asked for your help….

          North Korea (not Korean) it’s seen as a threat by your country, because is one of the last comunist regimes in the world. but in this case i agree with you, north korea is a threat, mainly because Kim jong il is a little crazy.

          vietman (not viet nam)…..please, you are american, you should know what that war meant to your country………

          and about the foreign aid…..its not actually aid, it’s a loan, with really high interests

          • Justin Identicon Icon Justin UNITED STATES says:

            It’s actuallly IRAQ not irak. hey if you want a piss fight, Americans have no problem pulling out our cocks on the table and fuck your girlfriend. Also we DO CARE enought to send AID to hurt countries not a loan, show proof its a loan. We as Americans, as well as other countries have people donating stuff to help others who are in need, such disasters. I hope you don’t need aid but will be there to help if needed. I have nothing against helping, it’s the HUMAN thing to do.

          • Lonnie Identicon Icon Lonnie UNITED STATES says:

            Sorry to confuse you with facts; you mind is made up.

      • Justin Identicon Icon Justin UNITED STATES says:

        As every other country doesn’t steal? Yeah when your country is attacted, DON’T CALL US TO COME PRETECT YOU. that bullshit needs to end. we can not be the worlds 911 service any longer, we got our OWN shit to deal with.

    • Xen Identicon Icon Xen UNITED KINGDOM says:

      No, they simply won’t come to offence.

      No one wants to “cut” the military budget completely. The fact is that it is simply a bloated & useless parasitic organism that now just serves to pay a whole bunch of people out of taxpayer’s money.

      Big evil Russia does its defence budget with 35 billion. (That’s almost half of the French one). Yet this budget is enough to maintain a fuckton of ICBMs (therefore being completely un-invadeable. If someone invades they will simply nuke him), as well as counter-terrorism, a war in chechnya and occasionally bombing Georgia up.

      Why can’t the US do that hmmm?

      50 Billion (tops). That’s all the budget the Pentagon ever needed.

  12. steeglecobeegle Identicon Icon steeglecobeegle UNITED STATES says:

    @John,
    “God has Blessed America”????

    You think America is such a great nation because God likes us???
    For one thing, if you believe in God, I’m surprised you would defy him so and come to a website like this one…
    I’m not saying this is a bad site, it’s just not Christian-like.
    For another thing, God isn’t real.

    @Lonnie,
    In the past 60 years, there has been ONE attack on the U.S.
    It was also preventable if airport security in 2001 wasn’t so stupid.

  13. Todd Identicon Icon Todd UNITED STATES says:

    I think we do need to put this all in perspective. Reading the comments, several things come to mind. John, i don’t think our country is the way it is because of God; steeglecobeegle, being gay and Christian is not incompatible (despite what the fundies tell you). Lonnie has a point, if spoken somewhat confrontationally. I think we do have to recognize that the poor will be with us always. We are fortunate (blessed, if you will) to live in the west where we do not have to put our children to work. No, we cannot educate the world, and because of our military we rest in the freedoms we do have. Yet, Kieran and Astro have made the best point of recognizing that knowledge is the first step for us to change the world. Each of us has to do our part in affecting decisions of our country; I do hope we continue to strive to help those around us and across the world without compromising who we are as a nation.

    Good post, Josh. Thanks.

  14. Scott Identicon Icon Scott UNITED STATES says:

    Exactly who is this enemy that America needs to defend itself from? Only Russia, with its atomic warheads and intercontinental missiles poses any existential threat to America, but Russia is not the old Soviet Union, and it has no interest in threatening us. The worst that could happen to us is that Al Qaeda or some other terrorist group could get a hold of a couple of atomic bombs and blow up a couple of American cities. As terrible as that would be, it would not destroy America unless we, ourselves, give up our freedoms and become a Fascist state. The best way to defend against such atomic terrorism, however, is not having a huge military. Much better is getting as much international cooperation as possible to use aggressive police action to isolate and control any terrorist groups. After all, atomic terrorism threatens Europe, Israel, and moderate Islamic states as much as it threatens us.

    Other than atomic terrorism, what do we really have to be afraid of? No country, absolutely no country, is going to do a Normandy style landing on the beaches of Delaware and march on Washington D.C. (Canada, of course, could just paddle across the St. Lawrence River, but they are far too nice a country to do that).

    In today’s world, our huge military exists only so that truly evil people like Dick Chaney and morons like George W. Bush can try to justify why our huge military exists my manufacturing idiocies like invading Iraq.

  15. Master Bates Identicon Icon Master Bates AUSTRALIA says:

    LIFE VERSES DEATH… WAR VERSES PEACE… FOOD VERSES BULLETS

    All valid points in these posts and well worth reading.

    Bottom line though… War kills and maims our brothers, our sons, our daughters, our sisters.

    Sex produces healthy babies with open minds. Question is, are we going to feed them the same warrior shit that we were fed, or do we teach them to make love, not war?

    I tell my kids to stop admiring limp dick, Rambo warriors with huge deadly weapons. They’re not nice, never have been, never will be. Massive egotistical arse holes to a man, and completely unaware of the suffering, death and destruction they cause to their fellow man.

    Most armchair warriors who admire Rambo and his kind, become hysterical when they see their sons with an erect penis. “Put it away!” they scream, “it’s disgusting, where is that nice toy machine gun I bought you for Christmas? The season of joy and peace to all mankind… Can’t you play with that for once, go shoot that gook kid next door, and while you’re at it, waste that black bastard at number 36, how dare they buy houses in a white neighbourhood.”

    Show this guy pictures of boy soldiers on this blog and he will say, “So what? killing is cool!

    Show the same boys masturbating, or god forbid, making love, and this site will be zapped by the powers that be overnight. Seen it happen before, time and time again.

    The web used to be awash with free speech, now it’s run by the same greedy goons that control the other main stream media. Say the wrong thing, post the wrong image, the wrong clip, and it’s good night boy blog.

    We are all conditioned to love war and fear sex, especially under age sex. Anybody who tries to reverse this irrational trend is bullied and vilified by a pious joe public, still indoctrinated by puritanical religious nonsense and an unshakeable a belief in some obscure omnipotent being, always ready to pitch lustful sinners into a fiery furnace and reward sanctimonious grovellers with a halo, white nighty and a cute set of wings. Oh and don’t forget the harp. That keeps pure fingers busy and away from their stiff naughty bits.

    Do angels have naughty bits?

  16. Jimmy Identicon Icon Jimmy UNITED STATES says:

    If the U.S. did not have to spend money defending itself AND OTHER countries then maybe its citizens could keep some of their money and then donate it to those that need help. But we are taxed so that a few socialist politicians can give it to their voters so they can get reelected and hold their power.

    I am not a Republican or Democrat but a GAY Libertarian conservative that wants government out of my life and yours.
    I along with a few of my gay friends served in the military, some of us in war zones. We are not “Rambos” nor baby killers.

    The extreme Left is just as bad and as the extreme Right!
    That is my opinion and you can have yours,

    • Xen Identicon Icon Xen UNITED KINGDOM says:

      Well hello there.

      Sounds like the “libertarian” “conservative” (two opposite words to each other btw), likes to ignore that the biggest civil agency around, government body & tax payer paid bureaucracy IS the military.

      Wither the money it would be given to help others is irrelevant. The least it could be returned back to the market, so some of it can find its way in helping others.

  17. Where does funding for UFT merit bonuses come from?

  18. kevin Identicon Icon kevin UNITED STATES says:

    YAY Astro, Keiran, and Stewart! Only armed with knowledge can someone make a more effective decision, whether that be to vote on a particular political action to change things, change their own “carbon footprint”, or whatever.
    I live in the US and despite my being grateful for many things, I am also appalled by politics, spending, vested interests, and how incredibly entrenched we are in many (not so necessarily wonderful) facets of existance.
    1.14 TRILLION dollars for a budget. Wow. Staggering.

  19. arkadas Identicon Icon arkadas says:

    The video animates to think longer than one moment about the really important in the life.

  20. Zoran Identicon Icon Zoran SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO says:

    In today’s world, our huge military exists only so that truly evil people like Dick Chaney and morons like George W. Bush can try to justify why our huge military exists my manufacturing idiocies like invading Iraq.

    • Justin Identicon Icon Justin UNITED STATES says:

      YES, I agree. Bush needs to needs to be hanged and Most Americans did not want war but Bush gave it to us, reason why I think we need to get rid of Texas, most of the idiots come from there.

  21. gdog355 Identicon Icon gdog355 says:

    Really outrageous video that shows CLEARLY

  22. John Identicon Icon John UNITED STATES says:

    Hey Josh ? See what ya started ? haha !
    Hey I`m no wiz ok but it`s amazing to me how few see the Big Pic, if you will. If you know anything about American History you`ll know that there is little doubt that God has Blessed us ! How we ever got this far is quite well amazing !
    And for Nuke threats lets see lets make a list shall we ? Russia (yes) China (yes) N.Korea (yes) Iran (?).
    Lets not forget that WE provide a NUKE Umbrella for Western Europe and most of Aisa. Why we still do this ?
    Belive me America (I can only speak for myself) should not and does not want to be the World Cop ! Nor should we be.
    If I had my way it would`nt be like this belive me you guys would be on your own.
    Some pretty good comments too ! But if you had lived thru the 60`s you`d know that running away is not the answer,
    dropping out of the System is not the answer. you can`t be out side looking in and expect to make any changes !
    And please remember that it`s a wonderfull thing to be able to agree to dis-agree !

    • Xen Identicon Icon Xen UNITED KINGDOM says:

      Let me copy paste you something:

      Big evil Russia does its defence budget with 35 billion. (That’s almost half of the French one). Yet this budget is enough to maintain a fuckton of ICBMs (therefore being completely un-invadeable. If someone invades they will simply nuke him), as well as counter-terrorism, a war in chechnya and occasionally bombing Georgia up.

      Why can’t the US do that hmmm?

      50 Billion (tops). That’s all the budget the Pentagon ever needed.

      And so can Europe as well. (which spends 300 Billion on defence, collectively).

  23. paradise Identicon Icon paradise UNITED STATES says:

    i think it was a wounderful video. Its verry sad but true,i FUCKING HATE AMERICA yay 9/11

  24. Hoskins Identicon Icon Hoskins UNITED STATES says:

    We have a large military budget to support our interests overseas and to provide income to ourselves – states make a lot of money off bases located within their borders. So do other countries, by the way (check out what happened to the Philippines when we left).

    Our interests overseas are one: OIL. We need oil to support us in the video game playing, donut eating, fatass making, lazy lifestyle to which we have become accustomed.

    A lot of foreign aid is delivered to countries in different ways. It’s all about furthering our interests. To some, it’s a loan with a really high interest rate. When we need something from that country – some new military base, some political favor, import fees lowered, that kind of thing, we forgive the debt. This puts that country squarely in our pocket and we get our base, and the country’s debt is erased. It’s a win-win.

    We have a huge industrial base – that military-industrial complex – that would collapse without that big budget. Want to talk about a global depression? Watch what happens when a good 1/8th of our industrial capacity is suddenly shut down. The banking collapse isn’t even a blip compared to the effect that would have, globally and at home. And a good bit of that military/industrial complex is there to sell military hardware to other countries – where does Israel get its air force, do ya think?

    I could go on, but the bottom line is: we need that budget, YOU need that budget, and those third world countries get aid from us. It’s a circle.

    Can’t you share the love?

    • Xen Identicon Icon Xen UNITED KINGDOM says:

      Memo: Useless industries OUGHT to collapse. That’s how capitalism works.

      So who cares what would happen to the military indsutrial complex. After the collapse, there would be re-built, prefferably into something useful and not merely removing tax money/resources from the market and enclosing it into exploding things.

      • Hoskins Identicon Icon Hoskins UNITED STATES says:

        And in the decades that it would take to rebuild, who will pay to support the families put out of work? Capitalism only works when there are jobs that pay people that then buy goods to support more jobs.
        You’re talking about a massive depression here, and if you don’t think that will translate into a massive depression there, you’re pretty naive.

        Not that it matters to you, it’s not your country, right?

  25. FanOfJJWM Identicon Icon FanOfJJWM UNITED KINGDOM says:

    John, I don’t really understand your comment.

    First, what “NUKE Umbrella” are you talking about? There is no functional anti-ballistic missile system deployed in Europe, by the USA or by anyone else. Occasionally there are discussions of building radar facilities and interceptor facilities in central and eastern Europe, and then the plans get dropped or changed around, partly because they only serve to antagonise the Russians, partly because some of the countries being “protected” don’t want the stuff there anyway, and partly because it’s just a waste of huge amounts of money.

    If by “NUKE Umbrella” you mean the capacity to retaliate using nuclear weapons, then your facts are skewed. Britain and France have had nuclear weapons for over half a century. Quite apart from that, there is currently no threat whatsoever to Western Europe that U.S. nuclear weapons are somehow deterring. And there hasn’t been for over a decade. Any putative Russian invasion of Western Europe would now have to start a thousand miles away. And aggression from the Russians right now consists of nothing more than flying their creaky old aeroplanes around the North Atlantic (much like the USA constantly flies spy planes round the fringes of Chinese airspace) and making some Ukrainians cold.

    As for “most of Asia”, no the USA does not provide protection or deterrence for most of Asia; it provides it for two small countries where there are specific issues. Yes the North Koreans did manage to explode one rather wobbly nuke of their own, but their military is really rather laughable when it comes down to it. That leaves Taiwan as the one place seemingly in need of U.S. protection. But all the Chinese need to know is that the U.S. has a convincing response to either a conventional or nuclear attack. That doesn’t cost a trillion dollars a year.

    As for the role of “World Cop”, it isn’t really credible, either by the U.S. acting alone or the U.S. acting with British and other allies. I don’t think anyone could argue that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have made the West safer, or indeed made the surrounding regions safer. Nor can it be convincingly argued that they’ve made the people in those counties more safe, more happy or more “free”. As for the U.S. interfering in Georgia and other places, that would better be described as world provocateur than world policeman.

    Which basically means you and I agree – we think the USA shouldn’t be interfering in such things. That being the case, the ridiculous budget is unjustified.

    It’s important to remember that what’s being highlighted is the sheer scale of this. Britain is another country that spends a very high proportion of its GDP on the military, but the sums involved are very very small compared to the USA. The media and some U.S. politicians like to portray countries like Russia or China as militarily aggressive, but as others have said, their budgets are tiny – absolutely tiny – in comparison to the USA.

    I had to smile at Hoskins arguing that the military industries can’t be shut down because they’ve grown so big that it’s just not possible. I think that’s basically admitting the existence of the problem people are suggesting exists!

  26. John Identicon Icon John UNITED STATES says:

    You should look that Social Security is a larger budget amount than defense. Are you suggesting we give that up because it’s large also?

    John

    • Josh~ Identicon Icon Josh~ SWEDEN says:

      I wonder where all your social security money goes to. Obviously not into actual social security seeing that your social security is nothing but a bad joke compared to every other industrial nation on this planet.

  27. Jimmy Identicon Icon Jimmy UNITED STATES says:

    Well,
    I finally watched the video and it appears that it tells us that our system of capitalism works better than their socialism.

    By the way a Libertarian believes that people have the God given right to live as they please as long as it does not harm others.
    As a Conservative I desire to maintain our rights granted to us in our Constitution and to be fiscally responsible as a nation.

    We should expect the people we elect to work in our interest not their party or their own.

    • Josh~ Identicon Icon Josh~ SWEDEN says:

      So much ignorance in so few words, good job!

      Ever thought about the possibility that YOUR capitalism is what keeps THEM poor?

      Sorry, it’s not my usual attitude to insult my readers but only a stupid dumbfuck can say shit like this and actually believe it.

      I might add that this doesn’t apply to Jimmy only. I should have been expecting this but still I’m pretty shocked to see with which unbelievable stupid lies many people here come up with to defend the system they live in. And you are really wondering why the whole fucking world hates America with such a passion? But it’s never America’s fault… of course. Holy shit.

      I feel with the few poor people who happen to live in that system but realise how wrong it is — I know you are there mates :/

    • Grim Identicon Icon Grim UNITED STATES says:

      Well, wait a minute Jimmy & Lonnie. US system of capitalism works better than their socialism. Are you crazy! There is not one Dollar in the US in anyone hands/bank account. Or Unless that money is fake. That is not owed to somebody by somebody. Seeing that a shit load of it was loaned from international bankers. The backers of the Federal reserve bank. In a debt capitalism society there will all ways be poor pockets around the world.

      By the way Libertarians desire to maintain rights granted to us in our Constitution and to be fiscally responsible as a nation. And point out issues like Exploitation of children.

      As a Conservative in the US they believe that people have the God given right to live as they please as long as they benefit from it. No matter who dies. And when they see kids sleeping in the ally. They point out why their conservative views keep them on top.

  28. kevin Identicon Icon kevin UNITED STATES says:

    Social Security monies are paid into by everyone working here in the U.S., and yet the system is broke, and it is broke because the funds were “appropriated” (borrowed – yeah right) from Soc Sec to fund other things…like the defense budget.
    This entire system is fairly broken, the people (in general) are fairly sick of it, and with unemployment levels reaching new highs here (short of the Great Depression), it follows that “we” are (as before) funding wars to boost the economy (nevermind the loss of human life).
    Pretty scary, if you live here in the U.S., much less look at it from afar. And the sad thing is – as Josh pointed out – the U.S. economy along with other factors g-r-e-a-t-l-y affects the rest of the world.
    What was that about 2012…… ;-)
    Thanks for the post, Josh.

  29. Hoskins Identicon Icon Hoskins UNITED STATES says:

    I say we nuke the US from orbit.

    Just to be sure.

  30. Hoskins Identicon Icon Hoskins UNITED STATES says:

    Oh, and by the way, I don’t for a minute believe the m/i complex, the defense budget, or the way our government operates are in ANY WAY representative of how most of the US lives. Most of us could really give a shit, because America’s Next Top Model is on!
    You can agitate for change all you want, but the apathy and laziness of your average American is not to be ignored. It’s gonna take a lot more than wailing on a silly internet message board to get people to actually sacrifice their comfy couches for hardship in the name of making it better for anyone else. How many Americans here are honestly working to change the system? Or do you jump on here, make a bunch of noise about how shitty we are, and then go fire up the xbox?

    TL;DR version: You are all shouting down a well.

  31. trepak Identicon Icon trepak JAPAN says:

    How come so many people bash the U.S. when it comes to the problems of poverty? In the sight of the ratio to GDP, it’s only the 28th biggest spender. And I have to add that Europe is also abound in “death merchants”. Don’t you know BAE Systems(U.K.), EADS(Netherlands), Finmeccanica S.p.A(Italy), SAAB, Bofors Defense(Sweden), Dassault(France), Siemens, PSM, and H&K(Germany)? How dare you, basking in war industries’ favour, throw stones at Americans? You’re birds of a feather. So be nice to each other!

    …Well so much for spitting on my European friends. Now “the poorer boy” on the right in this movie looks Chinese. And are you saying his poverty is attributed to “American military extravagance”!? Tell me another joke. This idea oversimplifies the matter. China has a million of rich people who live in upscale condominiums or mansion houses and possess classy cars. Look at the economic disparity of the country! And it’s Chinese companies and government/CCP that are taking advantage of the poor people. That is, they produce low priced and hence internationally competitive products capitalizing on cheap labour, and devour the profits obtained through trade. And they have octupled their military expenditure over the last two decades instead of spending more money on education of their kids. Additionally in China child labour is in principle prohibited by law, so if the image depicted in the video bears any resemblance to reality, its authorities are responsible, which are suppose to crack down on this kind of stuff. So this economic gap is mainly their domestic problem caused by the defect of the nation’s economic and social structure which now fails to spread wealth across the country.

    The same is roughly true of other developing countries, I suppose. They have substantial elites who earned degrees at Oxbridge or Ivy League, and they live in luxury, sitting still and watching the nations’ miserable state. And when criticized by the developed nations, they often respond with defiance or simply turn a deaf ear. Or at a loss what to do since the problem is too complicated. We have spent an obscene amount of money on helping developing nations through ODA and things, and look at what we got so far. Providing financial aid is not a specific cure. It seems to me that sentimental, hypocritical humanists will never know what is really needed to remedy the present situation. They’re just intoxicated with themselves being “good men”. I’m far from an Americanophile and feel no reluctance to admit that some of wars initiated by the U.S. were blunders but fanning anti-American sentiments is not helping.

  32. Scott Identicon Icon Scott UNITED STATES says:

    My guess is that most of the particularly ignorant postings from Americans on this thread are from young people. For thirty years now, ever since the “Reagen Revolution” and the gutting of media ownership regulations, our news has been increasingly controlled by a few major corporations. If you are under 30 years old in America, you have been exposed to corporate propaganda masquerading as news all your life. The worst offender, of course, is the Fox News Channel, owned by Rupert Murdoch (thanks, Australia). Fox News is a propaganda machine that would make Goebbels proud. It actually fired and sued one of its own reporters for not reading a story on-air that they ordered her to read and she knew to be a lie. The ignorance of a large segment of the American public has been purposefully engineered by major corporations’ successful 30 year effort to “control the message”.

    Making all this worse is one of the stupidest legal decisions in world history. In 1889, the U.S. Supreme Court declared a corporation to be a “person”, with all the freedom-of-speech rights from the U.S. Constitution as a real human person has. This ludicrous decision has stuck and become solid law in the United States. You can find out more about it here: http://www.ratical.org/corporations/SCvSPR1886.html This decision makes it very hard under U.S. law to restrict corporate control of our political process. The Republican Party is now completely controlled by big business and religious zealots. The Democratic Party is much better, but the corporate influence is still extremely strong. Our current political debate over public health care, which must seem totally incomprehensible to Europeans, is clear proof of how completely major corporations control the American political process.

    The Military-Industrial Complex is very, very real. It IS the driving force behind America’s incredibly short-sighted foreign policies of the last 50 years, starting with Vietnam. The world is actually in a great period of relative peace and prosperity now. There are no Napoleons, Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Spheres, Hitlers, or Stalins. The main identifiable “bad guys”, Al Qaeda, can only do terrorist hits, not mount a full scale war.

    I don’t think that America is an evil nation, but we are in a very dangerous period right now. The danger is illustrated by some of the ignorant comments by Americans on this thread. Barack Obama is a great hope, but that is all he is right now — a hope — and he is limited by how much he can accomplish through our political process. (These are the same limitations that prevented Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Bush from becoming a Hitler or Stalin, by the way). I hope for us and for the rest of the world that we make the right choices. Feeding starving children, and preventing WalMart from selling goods made under essentially slave labor conditions would certainly help.

  33. Scott Identicon Icon Scott UNITED STATES says:

    Thanks trepak for the perspective. I think the solution to much of what you are talking about is conceptually straightforward, but it would be politically difficult. If Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the U.S., the British Commonwealth, the E.U. and maybe a few other countries I have overlooked, all agreed to use trade policy to enforce consistent standards of health and safety, no child labor, collective bargaining, basic human rights, and a living wage, most of the other countries in the world would soon start distributing the wealth more equitably. In other words, treat your workers fairly or we don’t trade with you. China would certainly come around very quickly. If it can go from complete Communism to exploitive Capitalism in twenty years without a change of government, it can transform to responsibly regulated Capitalism just as easily. The British Commonwealth would have to get some of its member countries up to the standards, and hopefully the U.S. would improve its distribution of wealth also. Although politically hard, this idea is not much different from the admission process that the E.U. has been imposing on its new member states. If you can do it over there, why can’t we slowly expand the concept beyond Europe.

    Congratulations, by the way, on the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, especially the Charter of Fundamental Rights. I wish America would update our Bill of Rights to match it.

  34. Scott Identicon Icon Scott UNITED STATES says:

    I know I have posted a lot on this thread, so I promise that this will be the last.

    This is a letter to the opinion page of “The Daily Illini”, the student run newspaper of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. It illustrates well how many Americans think, which is probably very different from world view of Europe and most other cultures. It is from Luke, a senior in the Engineering School of the University. Luke is probably a very nice, reasonable young man. It is about an on-going labor negotiation within the University. I have copied the entire letter, only omitting details about the negotiations, which would not be very meaningful or interesting.

    “When I was very young, my father worked 45-50 hours a week as a janitor/handyman in addition to taking classes to become a paramedic. He only got paid for 40 of those hours, and minimum wage at that. Why? Because the place he worked at refused to pay overtime, and if he failed to get everything done on time, they would have fired him for incompetence. Eventually, after 7 years, he screwed up and they did.

    “Why am I telling this little story? Because in the years since, and at the time, my father never complained about the way he was treated by his employer. Not because he was some type of saint (he complains all the time), but because they were doing him a favor. The economy in the late 80’s early 90’s was bad and my hometown was worse. Getting a full-time job was virtually impossible; it was a small town, the factory had closed, etc.

    “[The union at the university] complains about not getting a living wage. I, and millions of other US citizens, sympathize; it really is not fair. [rest of paragraph about the union negotiations omitted]

    “Welcome to the real world, where it has everything to do with supply and demand, and nothing to do with fair. Multiple people apply for every opening… [If the union] went on permanent strike, there would be new [workers] by the time Christmas rolled around.”

    Now Luke is obviously a smart, articulate student that came from an impoverished background. He must have worked hard to get into the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, because it is the premiere public university in Illinois and only admits the best high school students.

    Notice, however, that both he and his father are oblivious to that fact that they are victims of illegal worker exploitation. It was illegal in the United States back in the 80’s and 90’s, and it still is, to require that hourly employees work overtime without pay. At time-and-a-half, those 5 to 10 hours of overtime would have been about a 20% to 35% raise in pay for his father. That money was due his father. His father earned it. It would have made a tremendous difference to his family’s standard of living. Instead of that money going to his family, where it would have been spent locally on necessities, thereby creating more jobs within that economically depressed community, it probably went to the owners or the stockholders of whatever business his father worked for so they could buy a Mercedes 500 series instead of a Mercedes 300 series (this was before Lexus became the luxury car of choice). No offense to the German economy, and assuming the Mercedes were not made in the U.S. back then, but that money was needed more in that American community.

    Yet to this day, Luke simply attributes the exploitation to inevitable capitalist forces. He is anti-Union, the very thing that would have helped his father and his family. If Luke gets his Engineering degree and is reasonably successful, he will probably have a decent middle class American lifestyle. He probably is a Republican, and will continue to vote for the Republican Party. He will view his situation, and his impoverished past, as “I worked my way out of poverty; Why can’t they?” The “they” being, of course, other poor people. He will not acknowledge that he was able to work his way out of poverty because of at least 16 years of tax supported public education. (Including my tax dollars, by the way, as an Illinois resident — but that’s O.K. because it really is better for everyone that Luke be an Engineer, even if he is a Republican, than for him to be stuck in his father’s circumstances).

    I present this posting because it is so typical of the world view of many Americans. I wish Luke well, but I do hope he broadens his viewpoint and gains a deeper understanding of the society in which he lives.

    If anyone is still reading me, I hope my posts have been helpful.

  35. John Identicon Icon John UNITED STATES says:

    Me thinks way to many people do to many rec drugs or just spend to much time on the net which of course is your right
    as I see it but you all keep trying to force things into little boxes and not seeing the big pic I think or at leats trying too !
    Democrats, Republicans, blue, red states what does it mean ? Nothing it`s all a trick their all the same bed with each other and don`t give a damn about America only them self`s and their wallets !
    Lets face it folks we all are getting screwed ALL OF US ! But there is always hope, always remember that !
    And whats wrong with our Social Secutiy ? I live will on it, please keep working and paying into it for me I really appreicate you all doing that for me ! lol

  36. Any Mouse Identicon Icon Any Mouse UNITED STATES says:

    Some perspective (without the revisionist, America-hating spin):

    The so-called “native” Americans were not native at all, but invaders from Asia. They wiped out the indigenous population (Kennowick Man, the Clovis People, and possibly the Askinazi) within 500 years. Wiped them out without a trace. These “indigenous” people were caucasoid and closely related to modern day Europeans, so presumably they themselves were immigrants. Why is the Indian takeover called “the last great human migration” while ours was “stealing the land”? At least we didn’t kill ALL of them. Oh yeah: These “peaceful, nature-loving people” Nearly caused their own extinction through land-grabbing wars on the plains and killed off every land mammal larger than a bison in the same time period (look up the “Great Pleistocene Overkill”.)

    Second: If it weren’t for that huge American defense budget, you would all either be dead or speaking German, raising your hands to the swastika. The other half of the world would be worshiping the Japanese emperor.

    But it is Okay. Pretty soon we’ll all be namby-pamby socialists, just like you. If that is allowed to happen, I will look forward to December 21st, 2012 and welcome the Apocalypse.

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