Thursday, November 01, 2012
Political Mayhem Thursday: Money we don't have...
I'll admit being fascinated by this great article by Harvey Sapolski and Benjamin Freidman: Romney's Other 47% Problem.
Here is the meat of it:
Our annual $700 billion-plus military budget exceeds the next 10 biggest military budgets combined. Much of that money buys forces needed to defend allies against threats they could afford to meet themselves. Alliances that once served the U.S. national interest have become a subsidy to rich allies.
They have a great point: Our military is providing protection to chief economic rivals like Germany, Japan, and South Korea, effectively subsidizing their economies. Can we really afford that anymore?
Here is the meat of it:
Our annual $700 billion-plus military budget exceeds the next 10 biggest military budgets combined. Much of that money buys forces needed to defend allies against threats they could afford to meet themselves. Alliances that once served the U.S. national interest have become a subsidy to rich allies.
They have a great point: Our military is providing protection to chief economic rivals like Germany, Japan, and South Korea, effectively subsidizing their economies. Can we really afford that anymore?
Comments:
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Yeah, we can. Troops in Germany and the rest of Europe have helped keep most of that continent from going to was for almost 70 years.... that's a record.
Don't be fooled into thinking that modern technology will prevent wars. Take a tour of the Holocaust Museum. Take a look at some books about the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Korea? Its been almost 60 years since any serious fighting took place there. Lots of jousting, but no battles.
Don't be fooled into thinking that modern technology will prevent wars. Take a tour of the Holocaust Museum. Take a look at some books about the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Korea? Its been almost 60 years since any serious fighting took place there. Lots of jousting, but no battles.
IPLG--
Don't you think that really it is the common market that has held Europe together (Western Europe, at least)?
Don't you think that really it is the common market that has held Europe together (Western Europe, at least)?
I don’t know if we can afford being the developed world bodyguards, but in the context of what just happened here on the East Coast I hope we can afford to have the power lines buried safely in the ground. Super-storm aside, every time the wind knocks down power lines, sending everybody back to primal living conditions I get to listen to snide remarks from my German and other European colleagues who “cannot believe” we still have trees take out power lines “like in Bangladesh or something.” I always get to promptly ask them why are they here, remind them they are here for the cutting edge research that’s proven not to be possible at the same level in the land of underground power lines, but I still hope we will someday afford that as well.
With regard to Japan and Germany:
"Since 1947, Japan's constitution has forbidden the formation of a traditional military force. The country has maintained only a Self Defense Force (SDF), the mission of which has been to protect the Japanese mainland."
I believe the same can be said of Germany. I don't know the reasoning behind Korea but I would suspect our presence their provides some level of stability in the region.
Also, having a base in Germany allowed injured troops to be med-evaced out of the Iraq I and II and Afghanistan and their conditions stabilized before their transport back to the US. I don't think that would have been possible with out this base and our lose of life in these conflicts would have been greater.
With regard to the common market... I think they like the concept of the Euro and the open borders but each country desires to keep its individual and unique identity.
Did you know that the Rail tracks going from Austria into Italy still require the train engine to be exchanged at the border (70 years after the end of WWII)?
"Since 1947, Japan's constitution has forbidden the formation of a traditional military force. The country has maintained only a Self Defense Force (SDF), the mission of which has been to protect the Japanese mainland."
I believe the same can be said of Germany. I don't know the reasoning behind Korea but I would suspect our presence their provides some level of stability in the region.
Also, having a base in Germany allowed injured troops to be med-evaced out of the Iraq I and II and Afghanistan and their conditions stabilized before their transport back to the US. I don't think that would have been possible with out this base and our lose of life in these conflicts would have been greater.
With regard to the common market... I think they like the concept of the Euro and the open borders but each country desires to keep its individual and unique identity.
Did you know that the Rail tracks going from Austria into Italy still require the train engine to be exchanged at the border (70 years after the end of WWII)?
The post-WWIi world order (brought to you by the USA) is probably unsustainable financially. But it will likely be remembered as a great golden age in world history.
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