If all the nations are in debt...

where did all the money go?

Where the money ultimately goes is here:

This is what much of the world has spent the money on:





See a pattern developing?

The US in particular has blown through a lot of dough funding this:



....and this:

Stephanie,

You forgot all the entitlement programs for people that produce nothing.

Cato

Now Cato, you know how I feel about entitlements. I guess I just find it distasteful to complain about programs that provide food, shelter, and clothing to Americans in the same post I'm protesting military build-ups, the bombing of civilians, and the funding and arming of brutal genocidal states.

Stephanie wrote:Now Cato, you know how I feel about entitlements. I guess I just find it distasteful to complain about programs that provide food, shelter, and clothing to Americans in the same post I'm protesting military build-ups, the bombing of civilians, and the funding and arming of brutal genocidal states.

I don't much give a hoot what you find distasteful, sweetie.

I'm ok with that.

The only problem is that if one reads the constitution and the supporting documents, there is no basis for those programs that provide food, shelter and clothing whereas a strong national defense is the primary reason for the Constitution, the funding of genocital states not withstanding.

I'm not disagreeing with you, Aaron. That doesn't change the fact taxpayer money spent on foreign military expansions, bombing innocent civilians, and genocide pisses me off more.

The entitlements lead to another conversation. We can discuss just how generous Americans are. We are a very generous people. If the government stopped confiscating our money to spend on bombs and bullets and grenades, not to mention all those entitlements, we'd have more disposable income and some of that income would go to fund charitable organizations that help people who can't afford to food, shelter, clothing, and the like. PLUS, with less of their earnings being confiscated by the government, some families would find they don't need help providing necessities for their families.

The military build up should be America's alone and should be for our self defense, not as an offensive tool.

As for foreign aid, years ago the US along with most other nations agreed to spend a specific amount of their GDP on foreign aid. As of today, the only country that has met that requirement is the US and that is only if you add charitable giving to the equation.

Personally, I don't see why we should be giving aid to countries where dictators confiscate the goods and sell them on the black market. In Haiti right now, there are warehouses full of medicine that would prevent the thousands of deaths from cholera but it is not being sent out to where it is needed.

I think it's time we started looking at becoming an isolationist nation once again.

It's not isolation when you have free trade and cordial dialogue. That's what I want.

Free trade is not free if it is not reciprocal. You have to go all the way to #9 on our trading list to the Netherlands to find a country we export more then we import. Our current trade deficit is about half a trillion dollars. Until a country is willing to open their markets up to American goods, isolationism works for me.

Aaron wrote:Free trade is not free if it is not reciprocal. You have to go all the way to #9 on our trading list to the Netherlands to find a country we export more then we import. Our current trade deficit is about half a trillion dollars. Until a country is willing to open their markets up to American goods, isolationism works for me.

I missed this! First, currently we require oil imports. I would not want to live without some imports. I'll sacrafice a lot, but I'm not giving up my Pecorino Romano. Period, dot, end of story.

Aaron wrote:The military build up should be America's alone and should be for our self defense, not as an offensive tool.

As for foreign aid, years ago the US along with most other nations agreed to spend a specific amount of their GDP on foreign aid. As of today, the only country that has met that requirement is the US and that is only if you add charitable giving to the equation.

Personally, I don't see why we should be giving aid to countries where dictators confiscate the goods and sell them on the black market. In Haiti right now, there are warehouses full of medicine that would prevent the thousands of deaths from cholera but it is not being sent out to where it is needed.

I think it's time we started looking at becoming an isolationist nation once again.

Actually, Aaron that is not being isolationist, it is being wise in my opinion.

Stephanie wrote:

Aaron wrote:Free trade is not free if it is not reciprocal. You have to go all the way to #9 on our trading list to the Netherlands to find a country we export more then we import. Our current trade deficit is about half a trillion dollars. Until a country is willing to open their markets up to American goods, isolationism works for me.

I missed this! First, currently we require oil imports. I would not want to live without some imports. I'll sacrafice a lot, but I'm not giving up my Pecorino Romano. Period, dot, end of story.

If we require oil imports, why are we exporting Alaskan oil to Japan? If need be, could we not convert to natural gas for some of our use, which America has an abundance of? Or other fuels? Are there not alternatives?

Somehow I think much of our need is based on want and not need. If it would mean putting the rest of the world in line, I have no problem sacrificing some of my wants for the greater good. I'm just sick of doing it so others don't have to work to to subsidize or to prop up other countries.