Quote cos I buried you.Degree Absolute wrote:
We really need to defend Spain and Portugal and a shitload of Eastern European countries from the Nazis.
Now do a map of the next most powerful country's deployments.
Quote cos I buried you.Degree Absolute wrote:
We really need to defend Spain and Portugal and a shitload of Eastern European countries from the Nazis.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007 ... act_parkerNew Yorker article about bonobos wrote:...the apes, which [Sally Coxe, founder of Bonobo Conservation Initiative] described as “bisexual,” engaged in various kinds of sexual activity in order to defuse conflict and maintain a tranquil society. “Bonobos are into peace and love and harmony,” Coxe said, then joked, “They might even have been the first ape to discover marijuana.”
I hadn't heard these numbers, but they are in line with what my gut was gutting on. 100 Al-Qaeda is insanely low... I guess I wish there were more, in the name of justification?neckbeard wrote:Hey Ross did you see the story about how much each soldier in afghanistan costs per year? 1 Million dollars each.
Or the one about the number of Al-Quaidas in Afghanistan? 100.
Consider this: the on-paper cost of 9/11 was about $100 billion, while the cost of the restulting wars in the Middle East is rapidly approaching $1,000 billion. Those wars would only be economically justified if they prevented TEN more terrorist attacks on the scale of 9/11. Sources: http://costofwar.com/ http://www.iags.org/costof911.html
neckbeard wrote: Now do a map of the next most powerful country's deployments.
I am poorly educated and posess quite average intelligence, but to me my instinct tells me that, in the western and English speaking world at least - That our cultures have been beset by so much corporatisation that the things that made us unique and different culturally are being eroded to the point where everywhere you go is kinda the same - McDonalds, KFC, Burger King and Subway in clusters everywhere.An extremely stupid but well-educated (re: foreign affairs) acquaintance of mine claims that in spite of the constant militarism I bitch about, the world is - overall - a less violent place than ever. He claims that there's more "peace" now than ever, and there are less deaths from violent conflict than ever.
Practical moral/ethical concerns aside, I think it's an interesting premise with regard to the human condition. Is world peace impossible, based on what man is? If the the closest thing we get is a lasting "peace" predicated via the occupation (and coincident kilocasualties) of a handful of non-christian non-democracies... what does that say? We have a better-case-scenario president, the shit is not stopping, and they gave him a peace prize for this. I have pretty much thrown my hands up. But I'm interested in what - if anything - it means. Surely you're interested in the nazi shit beyond a Hot Topic accessorizing interest?Smegma wrote:Why don't you just let it spiral to it's inevitable conclusion?
You know the sun is going to burn out as well? Should we worry about it? Start working on contingency plans?
i bet you got a couple of awesome YOU CAN'T PUT A PRICE ON LIVES responsesNecrometer wrote:I made an edgy facebook status update once that went precisely like this:Consider this: the on-paper cost of 9/11 was about $100 billion, while the cost of the restulting wars in the Middle East is rapidly approaching $1,000 billion. Those wars would only be economically justified if they prevented TEN more terrorist attacks on the scale of 9/11. Sources: http://costofwar.com/ http://www.iags.org/costof911.html
Actually, I got zero of those, and I felt subsequently warm inside. There's one ticking timebomb of a highschool classmate though... I think he and I politely avoid cross-comments to prevent mutual assured destruction. He's a clergyman on a military base. He posted "You know you're in Basic Training land when the privates stand at parade rest in line for communion, then come to the position of attention before moving forward." and it took every bit of restraint for me to not post an "ah, a one-stop indoctrination shop! / taxbux hard at work" response.riley-o wrote:i bet you got a couple of awesome YOU CAN'T PUT A PRICE ON LIVES responses
There hasn't been a significant conclusion to American conflicts in over 100 years. They either feel like testing their new technology constantly or the government knows that having that many soldiers on American soil is welcoming a coup d'etat. Either way, nothing positive is coming from this shit but it could be worse.Smegma wrote: Why don't you just let it spiral to it's inevitable conclusion?
He's available for children's parties, ladies and gentleman...Smegma wrote: Embrace our extinction.
Despite 9/11 being an obvious flash point it is difficult to use it as a cut-off for your question since a lot of the conflicts we are engaged in now have their roots and 'justifications' prior to 9/11.Is anyone willing to back this guy up and help convince me that there's any way life in the US would be WORSE with the $1 trillion spent in the middle east since 2001 re-applied to something more productive than fucking around in the desert? I have no idea how much loot we've sent to Israel but I'd pull the plug on that instantly as well. Unless you can convince me otherwise. Why not just have a department of defense that does what it's supposed to - defend?
Thanks for the thoughtful response, John. As for the oil - I guess I am not totally bowled over because it seems like the oil price fluctuation (the bottom line) is decoupled (independent) from our military escapades. This might be too one-dimensional, but... it's not like gas prices have gone down or even remained on pace with inflation over the last ten years. And even if they WOULD HAVE gone up more, would it have been more enough to offset the trillion dollar bill?Chevalier Mal Fet wrote:So two nos, one yes, and one magic eight ball. In general I will again point out, that middle eastern oil and the flow of it into our wonderful machines has a major impact on our economy and quality of life, and that is an undeniable fact 'on the ground' despite the can of argument worms that opens.
Necrometer wrote:
About past and future 9/11s - that's serious genie ball shit. The couldn't predict the first one and I doubt they could predict a second one.
Skyclun wrote: Explain to me how I'm dumb for not knowing how PayPal works.
Etc.WASHINGTON — Two former employees of Blackwater Worldwide have accused the private security company of defrauding the government for years by filing bogus receipts, double billing for the same services and charging government agencies for strippers and prostitutes, according to court documents unsealed this week.
In a December 2008 lawsuit, the former employees said top Blackwater officials had engaged in a pattern of deception as they carried out government contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Well, a buddy of mine made the argument that if americans are getting a wage from the activities, then it is part of our economy in a practical sense.Bored, Esq. wrote:It'd be nice if some of the money all of these defense contractors are grafting (while soldiers are dying because they don't have the right equipment) somehow trickled down back into our economy. One wonders where all this money is going.
On the first you need to consider more holistically how our relationships with these nations, (and Russia's and China's and the EU's) and their relationships with the other nations in the region are dictated by the very existence of resource extraction and exportation, it is not simply the daily fluctuations in price, it is the fact that any one or number of these nations shut us out of our precious, our entire economy is fucked beyond belief.Necrometer wrote:As for the oil - I guess I am not totally bowled over because it seems like the oil price fluctuation (the bottom line) is decoupled (independent) from our military escapades. This might be too one-dimensional, but... it's not like gas prices have gone down or even remained on pace with inflation over the last ten years. And even if they WOULD HAVE gone up more, would it have been more enough to offset the trillion dollar bill?
I was trying to get at more of a cold & rational outlook of how things would be if 9/11 was treated like a natural disaster and we just went on with business as usual (with more airport security).
The problem is it does trickle down to all 50 states and into the wallets of the congress, all these contractors, spread the wealth to all 50 states, making sure they have employees in every congressional district, or just enough of them to make doves hawks when it comes to military spending. For more willing participants, see Sen. Richard Shelby in Alabama, putting holds on all of Obama's nominees until he gets his military pork.It'd be nice if some of the money all of these defense contractors are grafting (while soldiers are dying because they don't have the right equipment) somehow trickled down back into our economy. One wonders where all this money is going.
Yeah. I guess what I meant to say is that it would be nice if everyone could see exactly where it was going...Chevalier Mal Fet wrote: The problem is it does trickle down to all 50 states and into the wallets of the congress, all these contractors, spread the wealth to all 50 states, making sure they have employees in every congressional district, or just enough of them to make doves hawks when it comes to military spending. For more willing participants, see Sen. Richard Shelby in Alabama, putting holds on all of Obama's nominees until he gets his military pork.