Yes, I understand your point. A recent article in the Christian Science Monitor compared military expenditures during WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan/Iraq and reported that current expenditures were roughly 1% of GDP (as compared to 30% during WWII, if my memory is correct). But, then this only accounts for Afghanistan/Iraq and is not included in the $420 billion spent by the US military 2005.
Of course, the CSM article also pointed out that the cost of the current wars is being financed by borrowing. During WWII, US citizens supplied at least some of the needed savings by buying bonds. Now, we expect the Japanese and Chinese to loan us the money.
So, we might have some "fat" to burn in our campaign to rid the world of evil-doers. But in the long term, the thermodynamics are against us.
"Now, we expect the Japanese and Chinese to loan us the money."
Ahhh....so THIS is the "Coalition of the Willing"!!! They are paying for our military services by funding our debt. That is why they can't pull out of the USD$. It is a quid pro quo situation.
During WWII US citizens were buying bonds, now foriegn governments are buying bonds. The only differenec is that it is easier to default or deflate out of foriegn debt than domestic.
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“This order [i.e. capitalism] is now bound to the technical and economic conditions of machine production which today determine the lives of all the individuals who are born into this mechanism, not only those directly concerned with the economic acquisition, with irresistible force. Perhaps it will so determine them until the last ton of fossilized coal is burnt.”
k Nation (Jim Kunstler)
GAIA Host Collective
Yes, I understand your point. A recent article in the Christian Science Monitor compared military expenditures during WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan/Iraq and reported that current expenditures were roughly 1% of GDP (as compared to 30% during WWII, if my memory is correct). But, then this only accounts for Afghanistan/Iraq and is not included in the $420 billion spent by the US military 2005.
Of course, the CSM article also pointed out that the cost of the current wars is being financed by borrowing. During WWII, US citizens supplied at least some of the needed savings by buying bonds. Now, we expect the Japanese and Chinese to loan us the money.
So, we might have some "fat" to burn in our campaign to rid the world of evil-doers. But in the long term, the thermodynamics are against us.
"Now, we expect the Japanese and Chinese to loan us the money."
Ahhh....so THIS is the "Coalition of the Willing"!!! They are paying for our military services by funding our debt. That is why they can't pull out of the USD$. It is a quid pro quo situation.
Makes sense.
Selling bonds is borrowing money.
During WWII US citizens were buying bonds, now foriegn governments are buying bonds. The only differenec is that it is easier to default or deflate out of foriegn debt than domestic.