President Obama spent a good amount of time tonight blaming the Bush Administration for saddling him with a $1T deficit due to the war. Well, now, he wants to spend another $1T of which only 12% is real stimulus. Meanwhile, he wants to continue to withdraw troops from the middle east and draw down the military. Why? If the job is “done” in Iraq, then, by all means, pull them out. But, do not do so for economic reasons. Foolish.
So, here is my idea for stimulus – $1T in additional defense spending. Seriously. If we are going to spend $1T, let’s do it right. Let’s finance a working missle shield for Eastern Europe. Let’s build a new fleet of battleships and carriers. Let’s build another wing of fighter jets. Let’s expand active duty troop units. Let’s get Star Wars working.
Why? Think about how many people this would employ. Nearly all defense contractors are US companies. Nearly all employ US workers. Many employ US union workers. Think of how the economy would be stimulated by firing up all these defense contracts.
I have several clients in the shipping industry who are laying off hundreds of employees due to cancelled govt contracts. I have other clients in the manufacturing industry who are laying off hundreds also due to cancelled defense contracts.
Wouldn’t this be a better place to put this money? Plus, we signal to Russia, Iran, China, and the rest of the world that we are not getting soft of national defense. Makes sense to me.
I would rather spend a big chunk of it on schools, roads and bridges here at home
Why not tanks, aircraft, and naval vessels here at home? That said, I THOUGHT a large part of the stimulus bill was supposed to go to roads and bridges. What the hell happened to that???
Heck, as long as the nation is on the road to bankruptcy why not buy all kinds of cool toys to show off !!!
How will any of this protect us from terrorism and terrorists?
News flash: There are zero nations that are a military threat to us in any way shape or form. They all have bigger problems than we do right.
“Think about how many people this would employ. Nearly all defense contractors are US companies. Nearly all employ US workers. Many employ US union workers. Think of how the economy would be stimulated by firing up all these defense contracts.”
Now you do have a point there. Not the route I would favor, but heh …
News flash: There are zero nations that are a military threat to us in any way shape or form. They all have bigger problems than we do right.
You think so? Hmmm. I don’t think Russia or China feel that way. Russia had no fear rolling into Georgia. And we will likely go to war with Iran within the next decade. Besides, the point is, we do not necessarily need this to build up against a foreign threat, but, this plan would certainly stimulate the economy and employ a hell of a lot more people than the current stimulus plan.
What? You mean give US jobs to Americans to work on new technology that would make it to our homes someday? Well screw me silly and call me Lucy. That would mean I would need to give military credit for oh…
Microwave Ovens Color TV Nuke power The internet radios
Only a few million other things that military need has caused civilian comforts. That would be wasteful. Those super skilled road pavers and brick layers are the answer. Not high paying aerospace and what not.
we give our schools plenty here in Ca and the drop out keeps going up…and up and up, especially in LA…More money isnt the answer…Get back to teaching the basics…reading writing math…not ebonics…
China and Russia may not “feel” that way but that’s the way it is. They have way too many problems of their own to worry about (Georgia is a great example) and its the same for us worrying about them … There’s certainly no air force or navy 20% the equivalent of what we have … Missile defense is worth a shot, I guess, maybe. Back when it was the threat from many thousand it was really stupid (MAD) but now I can see a reason to keep it going if its to protect us from 1 or 2 launched from North Korea or somewhere … And the Iran thing: 40-50 years ago some thought a war with Russia was inevitable. Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed (including Reagan, especially in his second term). I’m really, really glad those cooler heads prevailed and hope they do so again.
But I digress. This book has me thinking maybe if we could just tell all the oil and gas producers of the world to f&*! off, that might be the best way to spend $1 trillion:
Tell the oil and gas folks to F off…then what? How will I heat my home, cook my food, start my car? How will coal get to the coal power plants? We need to tell the hippie liberal wackos to F-Off and to quote T. Boone…Drill drill drill!
Besides, the point is, we do not necessarily need this to build up against a foreign threat, but, this plan would certainly stimulate the economy and employ a hell of a lot more people than the current stimulus plan.
So your plan is to spend the money to build a bunch of shit we don’t really need? Where is the long term benefit there?
My links explain it all. Oh wait, you don’t read, you just write.
I read over your links caused they looked like sig links. My bad, I just read right past sig links.
Friedman: There is a convergence of basically three large forces: one is global warming, which has been going on at a very slow pace since the industrial revolution;
Freaking WHAT, why the hell is it these idots fail to notice the earth has been getting warmer since before the Dinosaurs?
So, here is my idea for stimulus – $1T in additional defense spending.
Sure… why not? We only spend more than the rest of the world currently… maybe we should spend twice as much as the rest of the world.
Why? Think about how many people this would employ. Nearly all defense contractors are US companies. Nearly all employ US workers. Many employ US union workers. Think of how the economy would be stimulated by firing up all these defense contracts.
Work that doesn’t provide a beneficial product is a waste… period.
Wouldn’t this be a better place to put this money?
No, it’s still government getting involved in the economy, something they have never been good at. You would end up with 1/3 of the money being unaccounted for, 1/3 being spent on earmarks and the final 1/3 on building something that doesn’t work.
If you have $1T to spend, you are collecting too much tax.
“No, it’s still government getting involved in the economy, something they have never been good at. You would end up with 1/3 of the money being unaccounted for, 1/3 being spent on earmarks and the final 1/3 on building something that doesn’t work.”
Hey we are talking about the defense department here. I am sure they are the absolute pinnacle of cost efficiency. As well as all the companies that innovate and build stuff for the DoD
Wouldn’t this be a better place to put this money?
No, it’s still government getting involved in the economy, something they have never been good at. You would end up with 1/3 of the money being unaccounted for, 1/3 being spent on earmarks and the final 1/3 on building something that doesn’t work.
If you have $1T to spend, you are collecting too much tax.
WOAH! Understand my position. IF we are going to spend $1T (I said “IF”), then, isn’t this a better place to spend it? I am not advocating spending $1T, but, obviously, Team Donkey has decided we need to blow this money. So, I am, for the sake of argument, taking Team Donkey’s position that we need to spend $1T to stimulate the economy. So, IF we need to spend $1T, isn’t this a MUCH better place to put the money?
