Is spending $750 billion per year on military necessary?

Jolly Rodger wrote:

When China invades Taiwan in 2025, you and other liberals may finally realize how important it is to have the world's strongest military ALWAYS.

LOL. Taiwan is about the size of Kodiak island and not even a fraction as nice or cool. Anything Taiwan provides can be replicated elsewhere.

No US blood or treasure will be wasted on an island that will inevitably be Chinese, as it has been since time immemorial.

testosteronedoesit wrote:

Jolly Rodger wrote:

When China invades Taiwan in 2025, you and other liberals may finally realize how important it is to have the world's strongest military ALWAYS.

LOL. Taiwan is about the size of Kodiak island and not even a fraction as nice or cool. Anything Taiwan provides can be replicated elsewhere.

No US blood or treasure will be wasted on an island that will inevitably be Chinese, as it has been since time immemorial.

Found the PRC plant. Hope you get some social credit for this.

Harambe wrote:

testosteronedoesit wrote:

LOL. Taiwan is about the size of Kodiak island and not even a fraction as nice or cool. Anything Taiwan provides can be replicated elsewhere.

No US blood or treasure will be wasted on an island that will inevitably be Chinese, as it has been since time immemorial.

Found the PRC plant. Hope you get some social credit for this.

Clever.

I found the neoliberal establishment moron, har har. . .

Now that that is over, how many Americans do you think are willing to absorb the costs of defending an island 100 miles off the coast of China from China? An America that is increasingly isolationist?

As much as I dislike the CCP (and find Taiwanese govt much more palatable), the juice ain’t worth the squeeze in defending a relatively small island that we don’t really need.

testosteronedoesit wrote:

Clever.

I found the neoliberal establishment moron, har har. . .

Now that that is over, how many Americans do you think are willing to absorb the costs of defending an island 100 miles off the coast of China from China? An America that is increasingly isolationist?

As much as I dislike the CCP (and find Taiwanese govt much more palatable), the juice ain’t worth the squeeze in defending a relatively small island that we don’t really need.

I'll take the compliment considering 'neoliberal establishment moron[s]' have been responsible for the greatest increase in world-wide quality of life in human history.

I don't disagree that much of America doesn't care about Taiwan. They should be a more important ally than they are, and any aware American should recognize that.

Isolationism = end of American hegemony. If you're ok with that, carry on.

Someone doesn't understand the semiconductor industry.

pitty response wrote:

Someone doesn't understand the semiconductor industry.

Also this. Modern semiconductors fabrication is ridiculously complicated and TSMC has a near monopoly on the latest and greatest tech -- uses UV lasers or something. Intel is committing like $30 billion to try and catch up in a decade or two.

Wanna give China 20 years of silicon dominance?

Wow! You have been at this all day! Did you get anything done today besides post on this thread?

Let us review why you believe a large military has value and possibly agree with your theory to a point but you are not seeing the big picture.

When a large military allows a nation to acquire-steal valuable real estate from another nation, the victor nation gains real estate supposedly with either valuable land for animals, lumber, minerals, oil & natural gas and/or valuable real estate for farming. Acquiring real estate obviously will reach the point of Diminishing Returns. A Military Industrial Complex develops. It occurred with Roman Empire, Spanish Empire, British Empire and Soviet Empire. Thing is poster, U.S. is supposed to be a leader of democracy and free trade. U.S. is no longer supposed to acquire-steal real estate. Poster, if a military is not allowed to acquire-steal real estate, WHAT IS THE R.O.I? All four empires I stated acquired-stole real estate. Since U.S. does not steal real estate currently, might as well spend tax payer dollars within U.S. Would not that be wise?

applied economics wrote:

When a large military allows a nation to acquire-steal valuable real estate from another nation, the victor nation gains real estate supposedly with either valuable land for animals, lumber, minerals, oil & natural gas and/or valuable real estate for farming. Acquiring real estate obviously will reach the point of Diminishing Returns. A Military Industrial Complex develops. It occurred with Roman Empire, Spanish Empire, British Empire and Soviet Empire. Thing is poster, U.S. is supposed to be a leader of democracy and free trade. U.S. is no longer supposed to acquire-steal real estate. Poster, if a military is not allowed to acquire-steal real estate, WHAT IS THE R.O.I? All four empires I stated acquired-stole real estate. Since U.S. does not steal real estate currently, might as well spend tax payer dollars within U.S. Would not that be wise?

Global trade networks have never been as important to quality of life as they have been now. Securing those is of great economic importance to the US. This is done through diplomacy, diplomacy backed with military might, and sometimes just military might. Thinking that military might is only worthwhile if you can physically take from others would be quality geopolitics in like 1500, I guess.

Our allies look to us to generally push back against military aggression -- it's bad for business -- and being the de facto world superpower allows us to (often) set our own terms in trading (when we care to... isolationists seem to prefer poverty to collaboration).

Does the US's foriegn policy always actually do the above? Certainly not. We have a bad track record. Is there room to cut spending -- yes! Is have the world's strongest military good? Absolutely.

And remember the golden rule of poasting: if you can't be right, be the last one to post.

We could probably spend less and get the same effect but we’ll never do that. The military industrial complex is even more influential of politics than finance and healthcare.

fat at 27 wrote:

We could probably spend less and get the same effect but we’ll never do that. The military industrial complex is even more influential of politics than finance and healthcare.

Of course U.S. could spend less on military. Trump and Space Force. Really? Biden will not break it up. Why not?

Who has the largest air force in the world? U.S.Air Force.

Who has the second largest air force in the world? U.S. Navy.

Of course all that military might is not necessary.

Harambe wrote:

remember the golden rule of poasting: if you can't be right, be the last one to post.

This. Because the infuence of the letsrun message board shapes world politics.

absofreakinlutely wrote:

Harambe wrote:

remember the golden rule of poasting: if you can't be right, be the last one to post.

This. Because the infuence of the letsrun message board shapes world politics.

LOL

If Harambe can sound the last poast on this thread, then maybe China will think twice about invading Taiwan.

Then the World will be a much safer place and we can all sleep soundly knowing he can save us from any avoidable danger.

absofreakinlutely wrote:

If Harambe can sound the last poast on this thread, then maybe China will think twice about invading Taiwan.

Then the World will be a much safer place and we can all sleep soundly knowing he can save us from any avoidable danger.

Surely the judgemental gaze of Harambe-in-heaven would make would-be aggressors think twice. Imagine Xi waking up a to a ghostly gorilla in his bedchambers, Christmas Carol style.

absofreakinlutely wrote:

Harambe wrote:

remember the golden rule of poasting: if you can't be right, be the last one to post.

This. Because the infuence of the letsrun message board shapes world politics.

The only thing more important than world politics... is winning arguments on niche online message boards.

Defense is certainly what drives the Southern California economy where the strategic weapons, aerospace, etc are designed

#DefundAirlines wrote:

Defense is certainly what drives the Southern California economy where the strategic weapons, aerospace, etc are designed

I suspect this contributes to them being the Gold Medal epicentre of the US.

testosteronedoesit wrote:

Jolly Rodger wrote:

When China invades Taiwan in 2025, you and other liberals may finally realize how important it is to have the world's strongest military ALWAYS.

LOL. Taiwan is about the size of Kodiak island and not even a fraction as nice or cool. Anything Taiwan provides can be replicated elsewhere.

No US blood or treasure will be wasted on an island that will inevitably be Chinese, as it has been since time immemorial.

Your opinion regarding Taiwan is stupid, and is fortunately not shared by the Pentagon or any other military decision-makers past, present and very likely, future.

The US will be compelled to counter any Chinese attack on Taiwan, which the Pentagon has publicly stated will likely happen in 2025.

You have no idea what you are talking about, basically.

It's a jobs program.