What to do with the US military?

[Deleted]

Well, yea, they should cut it by 50% and give it to NASA instead

Or maybe not.. havent you seen all those movies? We'll thank them when the aliens invade..

[morbidone]

NASA?!? No way they would blow it all on trying to figure out which bacteria was predominately responsible for making assholes stink, or a manned mission to mars. Equally pointless.

[Deleted]

What about situations such as Rwanda?

How did Afghanistan and Iraq work out? Libya is so grateful they killed the US ambassador.

Some countries are in a very bad situation, but for outsiders to think they can solve everything is stupidly arrogant.

---------- Post added 2012-11-04 at 09:36 AM ----------

(Ohh and we don't do such a good job policing the world btw! Lots of bad stuff happens in areas we don't care much about.)

Not to mention the loads of bad stuff in areas the US does care about.

[Fingerbox]

Your post reminds me of people who say "Let them kill and enslave their whole country, they aren't the same people as us so why should I care"

Disgusting line of thought. Anyone who can do something about it has the moral responsibility to do so.

That's absolutely false. What would make you think that?
While it may be a good deed to help those people out, I, nor anyone else, is by any means obligated to do it.
essentially you're saying that to ignore the issue is to be responsible for it's outcome. We're not.

[anveena]

Your post reminds me of people who say "Let them kill and enslave their whole country, they aren't the same people as us so why should I care"

Disgusting line of thought. Anyone who can do something about it has the moral responsibility to do so.

Well I just don't see how any nation has an obligation to get involved in another nation's internal affairs. If they want to kill each other, let them have at it.

[mjolnir1122]

In many countries, people have more rights than you do in the US!

And I'm not denying that. Our rights are being infringed upon more and more every time the senate, congress, or President opens their mouth. Point is, for these countries who do have lots of freedom, why would they want to risk giving that up? Like I said, no good has ever come from placing complete control in the hands of a few people, as well as the citizens having no voice in any workings of the gov't

[Rocket Surgeon]

NASA?!? No way they would blow it all on trying to figure out which bacteria was predominately responsible for making assholes stink, or a manned mission to mars. Equally pointless.

You can't be further from the truth on that.

[gabrield]

NASA?!? No way they would blow it all on trying to figure out which bacteria was predominately responsible for making assholes stink, or a manned mission to mars. Equally pointless.

Ignorance is strong here. A manned trip to mars is anything but pointless, most people don't realise just how much NASA contributes toward society with these "pointless" endeavours.

The military also develops a large range of technology which is always glossed over but if the US were to cut the military budget then a significant chunk should go to NASA, perhaps they should look at cutting funding countries like Pakistan first.

Also the idea of the UN having a standing army to police the world when a massive portion is muslim and openly biased towards muslim countries is frankly scary. No the UN is a place for discourse and should remain so.

[Deleted]

the thing that we spend that much isn't so much on us, as it is on the others who spend so little.

The difference is most countries spend on defence.

The US spends on force projection.

[Deleted]

NASA?!? No way they would blow it all on trying to figure out which bacteria was predominately responsible for making assholes stink, or a manned mission to mars. Equally pointless.

Missions to Mars are far from pointless. It would teach us about manned space flights and advance the technologies and once we get to asteroid farming and Mars tourism or a colony, it would be very profitable.

[Amsden]

Honestly I think the US should leave the UN all together... but that's for another thread...

Most of the money spent on the military isn't on the soldiers really, but projects for stuff we really don't need but seem to want anyway.

[morbidone]

Ignorance is strong here. A manned trip to mars is anything but pointless, most people don't realise just how much NASA contributes toward society with these "pointless" endeavours.

The military also develops a large range of technology which is always glossed over but if the US were to cut the military budget then a significant chunk should go to NASA, perhaps they should look at cutting funding countries like Pakistan first.

Also the idea of the UN having a standing army to police the world when a massive portion is muslim and openly biased towards muslim countries is frankly scary. No the UN is a place for discourse and should remain so.

I am not saying NASA hasn't come up with some good stuff over the years, but manned space missions was not one of them. That was the point I was actually making. I just thought the asshole remark was funny!

But dumping the money from one govt agency to another isn't good either.

Idk, have you ever talked to a christian? They are pretty scary at times too!

[Rocket Surgeon]

NASA?!? No way they would blow it all on trying to figure out which bacteria was predominately responsible for making assholes stink, or a manned mission to mars. Equally pointless.

[Amsden]

Let them duke it out.

Yep. Other countries don't want our help in the first place. And after we decide to help them anyway, they kill our ambassador. I say let the world solve it's own problems.

[Rocket Surgeon]

Well I just don't see how any nation has an obligation to get involved in another nation's internal affairs. If they want to kill each other, let them have at it.

I'm with you on this. I'm all for assisting allies in times of need, but we shouldn't be using resources being a global police force.

[darkwarrior42]

If you're going to reduce the military, just reduce it. Don't hand it over to the UN.

Of course, I have less than zero faith in the UN (that is, I think that often times their involve is worse than nothing). Countries don't come to the UN to work together to solve problems, they come to the UN to defend and promote their own national interests.... nothing "united" about it.

[Kraenen]

That's absolutely false. What would make you think that?
While it may be a good deed to help those people out, I, nor anyone else, is by any means obligated to do it.
essentially you're saying that to ignore the issue is to be responsible for it's outcome. We're not.

I am saying that, and I think it's right. If you have the freedom to choose to do something and you choose to not do anything, choosing not to do something is the definition if immorality. I don't know if I need to get into it further, I just took it as a granted/axiom type thing.

[Dezerte]

[Kaleredar]

Well I just don't see how any nation has an obligation to get involved in another nation's internal affairs. If they want to kill each other, let them have at it.

If genocidal rampages are occurring in other countries, or civil wars costing the lives of innocent people, we should just stand by and let them do so because they aren't us? Because, as you so put it, "if they want to kill each other, let them have at it?"

True, we may not be in eminent danger from an invasion at the hands of Rwanda. But I agree with Raybourne on this point... apathy towards human suffering is disgusting... and is a slippery slope. Perhaps the words of pastor Martin Niemöller regarding the nazis are somewhat relevant here...

First they came for the socialists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.

Our methods of dealing with the world at large are not perfect; I am not asserting that they are. I am asserting, however, that showing disdain for the plight of others is certainly not the action we should take instead.

[ShamanTankFTW]

Your post reminds me of people who say "Let them kill and enslave their whole country, they aren't the same people as us so why should I care"

Disgusting line of thought. Anyone who can do something about it has the moral responsibility to do so.

Yeah, but then the rest of the world just sees it as interference and we get blamed. Better to just let them duke it out then get involved.