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quinnox

(20,600 posts) Tue Feb 19, 2013, 09:11 PM Feb 2013

I don't feel proud of our behemoth military might [View all]

Sorry, I must be a bad American. I don't feel a surge of pride when I see our big bad aircraft carriers sailing manfully around or our sleek attack jets or helicopters raining destruction down on the "evil-doers". I once was like that, an English guy was visiting and I said that we (the United States) can kick any countries ass if we want to, and that is one reason my country was so great. I was in my early 20s, young and dumb. Now I have changed and I see it totally differently.

I see our gigantic, ridiculous military power as an embarrassment, not a strength. All that money was wasted and could have gone to much better things and areas, oh say like, human welfare or social areas or scientific research or medical research or energy technology research etc etc etc. Yet it never stops, the military machine marches on, what a kick-ass country we live in!

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I don't feel proud of our behemoth military might [View all] quinnox Feb 2013 OP

The Most Honest 3 Minutes In Television cantbeserious Feb 2013 #1

Thanks. Love that. Reminds me of the movie Bullworth. kairos12 Feb 2013 #5

exactly. that basically sums it up quinnox Feb 2013 #8

Most people would be surprised to know the defense budget has essentially doubled since 2001. kairos12 Feb 2013 #2

Like it or not, Ilsa Feb 2013 #3

No, it's "rape and pillage" Confusious Feb 2013 #27

Um. We did propose paying for the war in Iraq by pillaging it's resources... Luminous Animal Feb 2013 #28

I live near an Air Force base; I feel intense annoyance as they fly over with afterburners on REP Feb 2013 #4

And yet even here on DU many people will jump down your throat if you dare question Arugula Latte Feb 2013 #6

I think all of those humanitarian interventions were good. OceanEcosystem Feb 2013 #9

I dream of the day... Bigmack Feb 2013 #14

Already happened numerous times. OceanEcosystem Feb 2013 #20

Oh... well then... Bigmack Feb 2013 #34

That's great, but think of the tens and tens of thousands of innocents who have been slaughtered Arugula Latte Feb 2013 #35

yup quinnox Feb 2013 #10

You need to get on board, need I remind you Puzzledtraveller Feb 2013 #32

I think "there goes my health insurance, my stolen wages" Warpy Feb 2013 #7

Just wanted to point out jeff47 Feb 2013 #11

It would be much better dreamnightwind Feb 2013 #12

There are theoretical ways that are better jeff47 Feb 2013 #21

Here's one: pay those people to sit home and do nothing - nt dreamnightwind Feb 2013 #23

Isn't that what we already do? I guess they're making speeches instead of sitting home (nt) jeff47 Feb 2013 #31

I meant the military, not the Congress. - nt dreamnightwind Feb 2013 #33

DARPA is one of the only places where failure is expected sir pball Feb 2013 #19

Thanks for this OP! dreamnightwind Feb 2013 #13

Neither did Marine Generals Smedley Butler and David M. Shoup. Look 'em up. nt Bigmack Feb 2013 #15

I agree wholeheartedly. alarimer Feb 2013 #16

I feel exactly the same way. Brigid Feb 2013 #17

How do you feel about the 700,000+ civilian employees of the Department of Defense... Llewlladdwr Feb 2013 #18

Its a start quinnox Feb 2013 #22

I see. Llewlladdwr Feb 2013 #25

I knew you wouldn't like my answer quinnox Feb 2013 #26

It's a tragedy. NO budget cuts should be done that way. EastKYLiberal Feb 2013 #36

We're not really killing milions of people....we're helping them..whether they want us to or not. Tierra_y_Libertad Feb 2013 #24

+1 donheld Feb 2013 #29

... Scuba Feb 2013 #30