The Cost Of War

[LesMTS]

Hate to be a sentimental cunt, but, y'know, I am, so fuck you........

YouTube - The Cost of War

[Semprini]

Won't someone please think of the arms companies? Where would they get their profits from if there was no war? Eh? Typical selfish peacenik attitude.

[Largest of Als]

Without war.. and famine.. and horrible disease... think how over crowded we'd be.

Gotta have some sort of population control.




Al

[erithromycin]

You're complaining about defence spending on the Internet, right? I mean, the nuclear attack thing is a myth, but JANET and X.25 were paid for in part by the RAND corporation.

You do know, though, that US Defense spending is about 4% of GDP, and health care spending is about 14%? Yes, it's true that government foreign aid is quite, if not very low at 0.34% or so, but charitable giving in the US is really high - 2.2% of GDP. Then, of course, there's the fact that AMERICAN PIE is a TERRIBLE SONG.

More to the point, no sensible argument is best framed as a YouTube video. It's worse than trying to convey information through PowerPoint.

[LesMTS]

Originally Posted by erithromycin

More to the point, no sensible argument is best framed as a YouTube video.

You should watch the guy's other videos. He puts up fantastic and beautifully accessible evolutionary biology bits and pieces which is how I came across him in the first place.

YouTube - The Evolution of the Flagellum

YouTube - Why Intelligent Design is WRONG

YouTube - Why Intelligent Design is WRONG Part...

YouTube - Evidence for Evolution

YouTube - Big Numbers: a Concept Creationists...

[Potatojunkie]

I like the idea of completely covering Brazil in trees, just, like, while everyone's back's turned. And then sniggering about it for decades.
"Aw, man, those Brazilians are going to be so fucking surprised."

[Sgt Craig]

by 'Us' and 'We' I'm assuming they mean the USA

[LesMTS]

Originally Posted by Sgt Craig

by 'Us' and 'We' I'm assuming they mean the USA

Call me a Hasty Colin but that's the assumption I made.

[Sgt Craig]

Originally Posted by LesMTS

Call me a Hasty Colin but that's the assumption I made.

Thank fuck for that then, i can sleep sounldy on my bed of oil and money! (although, its a little sticky and crunchy, like a good chinese spare rib...)

[UncleDave]

Originally Posted by erithromycin

You're complaining about defence spending on the Internet, right? I mean, the nuclear attack thing is a myth, but JANET and X.25 were paid for in part by the RAND corporation.

It's often said that Wagner was an anti-Semite and a terrible human being in general. But he sure wrote some great music. I think you can see the comparison I'm drawing here.

Cheers!

[Largest of Als]

Originally Posted by UncleDave

It's often said that Wagner was an anti-Semite and a terrible human being in general. But he sure wrote some great music. I think you can see the comparison I'm drawing here.

Cheers!

Saying Prince is an anti-semite?



Al

[UncleDave]

Originally Posted by Largest of Als

Saying Prince is an anti-semite?



Al

Thats a lawsuit, right there. :P

Cheers!

[LesMTS]

Originally Posted by erithromycin

You do know, though, that US Defense spending is about 4% of GDP, and health care spending is about 14%? Yes, it's true that government foreign aid is quite, if not very low at 0.34% or so, but charitable giving in the US is really high - 2.2% of GDP. Then, of course, there's the fact that AMERICAN PIE is a TERRIBLE SONG.

No-one's being naive enough to suggest that general defense expenditure is unnecessary or misguided. This is about the cost of one preposterous and pointless war and how better the money could have been spent.
And, with that in mind, even if ten, one hundred or one thousand times as much money is spent on health care and charity than's been spent on the war, it makes no difference to the point being made at all. If I pay, like, 80% of my impoverished neighbour's council tax bill out of charity and spend the other 20% arming the local young team with lock-back knives then I reckon it's perfectly reasonable for someone to sit me down and go "here, why didn't you just pay the whole council tax bill?".

Originally Posted by erithromycin

You're complaining about defence spending on the Internet, right? I mean, the nuclear attack thing is a myth, but JANET and X.25 were paid for in part by the RAND corporation.

I think Uncle Dave covered this perfectly.

[JennyPiccolo]

If anyone wants to, you can sign the Amnesty International/Oxfam campaign for a Global Arms Treaty here:

http://www.controlarms.org/

Over a million people have already given their names.

[endless psych]

The Universal free healthcare things an interesting one given that health system spending in America is around 2 trillion as it is.