Politics

[PacificGoldenPlover]

I remember a political cartoon I once read, showing Uncle Sam trapped in a dungeon with the skeletons of Alexander the Great, the British, and the Russians. The dungeon was labeled Afghanistan.

[Jocool]

Yes, but we can't just leave it to become just like before. We shouldn't be the ones deciding the government, just making sure that it isn't radical. The Macedonians, British, and Russians all tried to gain influence in the region. If done right, all we will be doing is making sure it ISN'T influenced by the Taliban. In Iraq, the nation is in much better condition, and we should leave, and even Libya is already seeming (famous last words) to be on a road to stability.

[blue cobra]

We can't make everything right in the world. If we continue to try, we'll just destroy ourselves.

[Lady Epidemic]

The founding fathers, (go 8th grade social studies!) originally made provisions to specifically prohibit a standing army. This wasn't a popular choice, but if it was popular, they wouldn't have had to make a point to prohibit it. All through history, (Rome, Greece, Sparta, Egypt...) any large country that had a standing army, couldn't keep from using that standing army. We originally were only supposed to have a militia, so that people were prepared to DEFEND, but couldn't attack. Also, there should never be a need to draft soldiers. If so little amount of soldiers show up that you have to draft soldiers, it means the majority of people think the reasons for that particular war is wrong. No one's attacking America. So why does 1/5 of the federal budget go to "defense"? From what? We haven't defended anything since 9/11. Yes, let's go kill people in foriegn countries, instead of, say, education, or food, or jobs, or infrastructure.
Sorry, that's the end to my little rant. Take it how you will, I'll hop off my soapbox now.

[Swag]

After the recent results of the mayoral race in my city... I have cemented my beliefs that democracy is a terrible way of governing. The people are stupid. To allow them to be in charge is thus a stupid idea. Because they do stupid stuff, like elect insensible people. Plato had it right. An oligarchy of philosophers/highly educated people is the best form of government.

DEMOCRACY is STUPID.

Seriously though, I think it's stupid.

[Jocool]

A technodemarchy is the way to go.

To respond to the standing army, that is ABSOLUTELY wrong, especially now. In the modern world, if a country is attacked, it doesn't have time to build an army or wait for recruits. It has to have an army that is ready to go at least to hold off the enemy until reinforcements can be made. And a militia just doesn't work. If that was something that really works, then there wouldn't have been a need for a continental army.
So much spending goes to defense because they need it. If the military isn't advanced, someone else will. And no amount of isolation from the world's affairs can possibly seal one off from invasion. Look how that turned out (World War II?).

[PacificGoldenPlover]

I agree with your first paragraph, there is no law that says you can't have an army, you just can't keep soldiers in civilians' homes.
However, I disagree with your second paragraph; the reason that so much is spent on defense is because Lockheed, Boeing, Halliburton, and John Bolton want it.

[foreverphysics]

And no amount of isolation from the world's affairs can possibly seal one off from invasion. Look how that turned out (World War II?).

Ahem. *cough* Switzerland *cough*

[PacificGoldenPlover]

Actually, Norway and Denmark and Luxembourg were invaded.

[Jocool]

Far be it from me to support defense over other spending like infrastructure, but to be honest, cutting defense INSTEAD of other things is no good either. Yes, Boeing, Lockheed, Grumman, etc. should be made to ask for less money, but the military is one of the best for a reason. And they also came out with very useful technologies. If the US hadn't tried to master ballistic missiles, satellites would have been much more difficult. If the military didn't develop the internet originally as a communication, the framework for the modern version would have taken much longer. The military also develops plenty of cool stuff now, like UAV's, nanocomputors, new facial recognition software, and rail guns. Any of this is extremely useful, for both military and civilian purposes, and isn't free. And if we don't make it, someone else will.

Switzerland evaded conquer because:
1: They were neutral, but this only worked because:
2: They are mountainous, making conquer not worth it when
3: The people already helped them in many cases anyway.