Of course we as progressives, independents, and some sane 'Republicans', must vote in ever larger numbers in every election to keep the country on the right track. We must also hold our elected officials feet to the fire to keep the focus on why we elected them to office.

Think scrap value, which is exactly what we're leaving in any war zone (if you could collect all the pieces) of any ordinance. If you take your$160,000 Ferrari to the junk yard, just how much do you think you would get for it?

With the exception of whatever we pay locals for services, defense dollars go to American military personnel, their support staff and the manufacturers of their equipment. All spent right here in the good old U.S.A.

I don't disagree with you, or Eric, that those dollars would be much better spent on other services. I hate the military-industrial complex as much as the next progressive. My point is that we need to stop thinking of all those dollars going to Iraq, Afghanistan or where ever our troops are stationed.

The reason defense spending is so popular is that a large number of Americans depend upon that money for their paychecks.

B'shalom,

Jeff

1) Material cost of “a bomb” being less than $10.
2) The “vast majority” of $915 billion in war money being spent in the U.S for pay, benefits & salaries.

And, for the sake of discussion, let's say both are correct. The bottom line is the money we spend on our military is more than every other country on the planet COMBINED. Want to dig up some badly needed money? I think I found the place.

Regarding the stimulus – I'd like to think it saved the U.S. from even further financial calamity. But I don't think it's much of a prediction to say the U.S. needs to *fundamentally* change it's economic ways & I don't see either party as up to the task.

The stimulus & other economic measures are band-aids for a system steadily going kablooey. Consider this:

* The real unemployment rate is well more than 10% & expected to continue its increase in the near future (yes, I know it's a lagging indicator).
* More people continue to slide into poverty (even using the current but grossly outdated measure of poverty)
* A huge amount of U.S. workers & students are not educated in and/or trained for the jobs & economy of the 21st century.
* Wages have been stagnant for decades, with workers being double-whammied by paying more & more for their benefits.
* Foreclosures & delinquencies are now at a record rate & are expected to continue their increase.
* The retirement & aging of Baby Boomers is a ticking financial timebomb.

The above are but a few examples. Heck, the very fact we've spent $1 billion+ to “stimulate” the economy, with many saying it's not nearly enough, is proof positive our economy – for many of us, at least – is in dire straits & no longer works.

And don't forget – this is money we're spending WE DON'T HAVE. It's borrowed & will need paid back. Who exactly will do that? Will we look back years from now & recognize this era as the eventual tipping point?

So, I'm willing to agree life is temporarily a little better with the stimulus than without. But we have a loooong way to go before declaring the economy fixed (whatever that is).

It's going to be a severely bumpy ride ahead.

Thanks for the link:

“And whether or not the American-built health centers and power plants are ever used as intended, the American companies that won the lion’s share of rebuilding contracts from the federal government have been paid.”

B'shalom,

Jeff