A question for Republicans that I've had for a long time

[SSGSAD]

I agree that armies have a purpose, but do we really need one as big as ours even in peace time? The US has the world's first AND second largest Air Forces. We have, what, seven aircraft carriers? Is all that really necessary?

Also, would it be so bad if some of the money spend on these wars would have been spent on medical research or tuition assistance or infrastructure or NASA? The bill for the Iraq War alone is around $1.2 trillion. If you add in estimations for long term veteran care, I've seen estimations of $6 trillion. Surely that money could be better spent elsewhere. Or better yet for fiscal conservatives, wouldn't it be nice to have a surplus for a change?

I spent 26 years, in the Military, do YOU have any idea, how much our current Military, has been cut since Ronald Reagan left office.....
Indiana lost BOTH of our Active Duty bases..... Ft. Ben., right here in Indy, and Grissom, in Peru, is now an Air Reserve.... When I get my Retirement, I was promised a LIFETIME, of FREE healthcare, for serving my country, now what do I get ?????

 

[SSGSAD]

Let me start by saying that I'm not trying to start anything. I just want to hear a Republican's explanation on the issue.

Why are Republicans so against government spending when it comes to social welfare programs, but are so willing to spend trillions on war? Or even when we aren't in a war, why are Republicans so willing to spend billions on the military during peace time?

I don't want to start anything either, but the more people WORKING, the less people, drawing Unemployment, welfare, and food stamps..... I have nothing against these programs, but when people work, they pay into the "system", and then there are less people "drawing out of the system".....

 

[Rookie]

You asked a legitimate question about the military and its associated spending...now to democrats: Where in the Constitution can you point to where spending on virtually all that stuff is a power delegated to the federal government?

Crickets...

How about letting me opt out of social security?

Yes, please!

 

[forgop]

As I said earlier, I think the money that has been spent on these wars or extra money in the future that would come from a smaller military should go to things like education, tuition assistance, infrastructure improvements, medical research, environmental research, NASA, Social Security, and Medicare. I would like to add that most of these things would result in more jobs.

So growing entitlement programs is the answer to $17T+ of national debt and continued trillion dollar deficits. Gotcha.

 

[halfmileharry]

How about letting me opt out of social security?

Which line do I stand in to opt out? Just point me there please

 

[forgop]

And yet, we still did NOT have enough assets in place to save our people in Benghazi.

If it weren't for that darned pesky youtube video, none of this would have happened.

 

[Rookie]

Which line do I stand in to opt out? Just point me there please

If there was a line, you could fall in place right behind me.

 

[jbombelli]

Never said we had to spend all of it.

Let's just look at that...

As I said earlier, I think the money that has been spent on these wars or extra money in the future that would come from a smaller military should go to things like education, tuition assistance, infrastructure improvements, medical research, environmental research, NASA, Social Security, and Medicare. I would like to add that most of these things would result in more jobs.

I don't see the phrase "...some of the money that has been spent on these wars..."



So what is your limit?

 

[copperhead-1911]

Let me start by saying that I'm not trying to start anything. I just want to hear a Republican's explanation on the issue.

Why are Republicans so against government spending when it comes to social welfare programs, but are so willing to spend trillions on war? Or even when we aren't in a war, why are Republicans so willing to spend billions on the military during peace time?

I do think that we need a strong defense and I also believe in programs to help the poor. they are designed to be temporary thought, but there are groups of people ( of all persuasions) who have made them into a way of life. A super majority vote democrat to keep the free ride coming.

Not starting anything and its a good question. I tend to think republican, but am a Democrat in name only.

I think it really comes down to this analogy which paints republicans and democrats both as screwed up while the southern democrat ( many are not republicans ) makes sense.

Lets use the analogy about giving a man a fish and he eats for a day, but teach him to fish and he eats for life.

Here are what the Republican, Democrat, and southern Democrat say about people needing fish to eat.

The Republican says "Its not my responsibility. Go learn to fish. You might not be trying to fish and just expect someone to bring you fish"

The Democrat says "Free fish for everyone for life. Just vote democrat in return for the free fish. We can take fish from those who catch it and redistribute it to those who can't or won't fish."

The southern Democrat says "Ok, lets have some fish frys for those who have no fish, but lets also do some fishing lessons at the fish fry. People will feel better about themselves making their own way than charity"

 

[9mmfan]

I spent 26 years, in the Military, do YOU have any idea, how much our current Military, has been cut since Ronald Reagan left office.....
Indiana lost BOTH of our Active Duty bases..... Ft. Ben., right here in Indy, and Grissom, in Peru, is now an Air Reserve.... When I get my Retirement, I was promised a LIFETIME, of FREE healthcare, for serving my country, now what do I get ?????

If I remember right, the Army had 18 active duty divisions and 10 reserve divisions. The Army has shrunk in size. For people calling for its further reductions, how small does it need to become?

 

[Destro]

I was promised a LIFETIME, of FREE healthcare, for serving my country, now what do I get ?????

recruiters lie

 

[Shadow8088]

recruiters lie

this ^^ didn't you ever see Private Benjamin???

 

[Que]

As I said earlier, I think the money that has been spent on these wars or extra money in the future that would come from a smaller military should go to things like education, tuition assistance, infrastructure improvements, medical research, environmental research, NASA, Social Security, and Medicare. I would like to add that most of these things would result in more jobs.

What would you do with the vast number of military personnel removed from the military? Police departments are short on numbers, but most of them won't take a person straight out of the military right now. Our borders are defensless. Would you recommend these personnel be used in some way to defend our borders from illegal crossings from Mexico and Canada? If not, what would you do with them?

 

[Bunnykid68]

How about letting me opt out of social security?

How about we quit signing our kids up for it in the first place as soon as they are born.

 

[rambone]

Everything should be cut drastically. I have no desire to fund your sacred cows. Want to keep dropping bombs and giving handouts? Send em your own money.

 

[actaeon277]

Pooty, if we entirely rid ourselves of the military, got rid of all the tanks, planes, missiles, etc, the debt would still grow.
In the 70s, the military was the biggest part of the federal budget.
That is not even close to being true anymore.

 

[Jarhead77]

...and Que nails it. Outside of defending this once great nation, the military is a HUGE social welfare program. I would even postulate that it is the "right" kind of welfare and education program. Think about it , you work for us taxpayers defending us from the evil nations and we provide food, clothing, medical and dental coverage, education, etc., etc., etc...

I served, grew up, got an education, wasn't on the streets committing crimes or causing a ruckus. I sacrificed some freedoms to get something in return. Now I pay those in the service for their sacrifice and protection.

If we shrink it, the number of un or underemployed goes up and we end up paying for many if them anyway....

I don't care for the government give away like some do. If you are interred, physically or mentally unable to contribute the great good? Well that's one thing. Those that can and don't because we've enabled it? I've got issues with that mentality.

 

[Pooty22]

If things would result in more jobs, why wouldn't private enterprise take care of them?

What interest does private enterprise have in any of those things? Who's going to pay private insurance to repair roads and bridges on public highways and interstates? Unless you want to pay for it every time you drive it.

Private enterprise does have a hand in education and tuition assistance, however the publicly funded alternatives are usually cheaper.

There are a couple companies getting into space exploration, but that is far from the only thing NASA does.

Oh and private companies that spend their own money doing research are the reason everything in the medical field is extremely, sometimes prohibitively, expensive.

 

[ZombieApocolypse]

What would you do with the vast number of military personnel removed from the military? Police departments are short on numbers, but most of them won't take a person straight out of the military right now. Our borders are defensless. Would you recommend these personnel be used in some way to defend our borders from illegal crossings from Mexico and Canada? If not, what would you do with them?

Things that make you go hmmmmm, WWPootyD

 

[Pooty22]

I spent 26 years, in the Military, do YOU have any idea, how much our current Military, has been cut since Ronald Reagan left office.....
Indiana lost BOTH of our Active Duty bases..... Ft. Ben., right here in Indy, and Grissom, in Peru, is now an Air Reserve.... When I get my Retirement, I was promised a LIFETIME, of FREE healthcare, for serving my country, now what do I get ?????

That's kind of what I'm getting at. The Military has been cut a whole bunch since Reagan, but it's still too big.