Also, none of it was "wasted." Its not like they took a pile of cash and burned it. They paid private military contractors, weapons manufacturers, construction companies, etc. And now the US has a stronger presence in a strategic region. You can say maybe that some of their labor was wasted but guess what, the psycho working for blackwater wasn't going to work building electric locamotives just by shifting spending elsewhere.
Also, none of it was “wasted.” Its not like they took a pile of cash and burned it. They paid private military contractors, weapons manufacturers, construction companies, etc. And now the US has a stronger presence in a strategic region. You can say maybe that some of their labor was wasted but guess what, the psycho working for blackwater wasn’t going to work building electric locamotives just by shifting spending elsewhere
I strongly disagree with this sentiment. If the money is shifted elsewhere, there is less money to pay private military contractors. If there is less money to pay private military contractors, there will be less jobs available as private military contractors. If there are less jobs available as private military contractors, the psycho working for Blackwater is probably going to do less damage, especially to the developing world, if they're a used car salesman.
Taking a pile of cash and burning it is better than spending it on mercenaries in sovereign nations committing war crimes. "Now the US has a stronger presence in a strategic region." Great, more bombed schools and hospitals and weddings.
I'm not saying its justified. I said that it wasn't wasted. The private military contractor comes back to the US and uses his pay to buys skidoos and put a lift on his Jeep wrangler. Saying that you can just move money around in a budget however you want and it all spends the same is wrong. The PRC doesn't have a bunch of high speed rail just because they set aside money for it in a budget. They also have the industrial capital and technical expertise to build high-speed rail. They have engineers and construction companies with experience, etc. The US would have to develop this capacity and it doesn't happen overnight just because some zeros were added to a budget in congress.
Call me crazy but if that money is being spent on sending psychopaths into foreign countries to commit war crimes, it is in fact a waste.
The private military contractor comes back to the US and uses his pay to buys skidoos and put a lift on his Jeep wrangler.
Yeah, and if the American government had spent the money it was going to spend on private military contractors on work projects at home that it is already capable of, which require no research or development, then those people building cheap housing or better subway systems will also use that money to buy skidoos and Jeep Wranglers. But there are less dead people in foreign countries?
The PRC doesn’t have a bunch of high speed rail just because they set aside money for it in a budget.
No, but that is an important step they did take.
They also have the industrial capital and technical expertise to build high-speed rail. The US would have to develop this capacity and it doesn’t happen overnight just because some zeros were added to a budget in congress.
Yeah, if some of the money spent on private military contractors was instead allocated to the development of the industrial sector at home, or in subsidizing education to develop technical expertise, I would say that is also great, let's do that.
The money spent on foreign wars was and is a waste. It could be spent on better projects elsewhere. China spends money on better projects elsewhere. America does not.
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War On Terror specifically is $6T I believe
Also, none of it was "wasted." Its not like they took a pile of cash and burned it. They paid private military contractors, weapons manufacturers, construction companies, etc. And now the US has a stronger presence in a strategic region. You can say maybe that some of their labor was wasted but guess what, the psycho working for blackwater wasn't going to work building electric locamotives just by shifting spending elsewhere.
Saying it was "wasted" is a lib economic view
I strongly disagree with this sentiment. If the money is shifted elsewhere, there is less money to pay private military contractors. If there is less money to pay private military contractors, there will be less jobs available as private military contractors. If there are less jobs available as private military contractors, the psycho working for Blackwater is probably going to do less damage, especially to the developing world, if they're a used car salesman.
Taking a pile of cash and burning it is better than spending it on mercenaries in sovereign nations committing war crimes. "Now the US has a stronger presence in a strategic region." Great, more bombed schools and hospitals and weddings.
No.
I'm not saying its justified. I said that it wasn't wasted. The private military contractor comes back to the US and uses his pay to buys skidoos and put a lift on his Jeep wrangler. Saying that you can just move money around in a budget however you want and it all spends the same is wrong. The PRC doesn't have a bunch of high speed rail just because they set aside money for it in a budget. They also have the industrial capital and technical expertise to build high-speed rail. They have engineers and construction companies with experience, etc. The US would have to develop this capacity and it doesn't happen overnight just because some zeros were added to a budget in congress.
Call me crazy but if that money is being spent on sending psychopaths into foreign countries to commit war crimes, it is in fact a waste.
Yeah, and if the American government had spent the money it was going to spend on private military contractors on work projects at home that it is already capable of, which require no research or development, then those people building cheap housing or better subway systems will also use that money to buy skidoos and Jeep Wranglers. But there are less dead people in foreign countries?
No, but that is an important step they did take.
Yeah, if some of the money spent on private military contractors was instead allocated to the development of the industrial sector at home, or in subsidizing education to develop technical expertise, I would say that is also great, let's do that.
The money spent on foreign wars was and is a waste. It could be spent on better projects elsewhere. China spends money on better projects elsewhere. America does not.
I think that's what waste is.