Is the US empire too expensive?

[evband17]

Congressman Paul, I think you just found your defense secretary.

[StreamlineCarry]

@evband17

I believe you meant to say "President Paul."  :)

[ru21yet]

The biggest threat to America is their own politicians in DC

[WuanMedison]

Happy Birthday Ron Paul, everyone please donate $20 bucks today towards the Aug 20th money bomb. Today is the day to spread the truth about liberty, get out there.

[Dewaynesite1]

they say it's the Tax Payers fault.

[ninjapiratespy]

Great Interview Lauren!

[37Dionysos]

I saw C-SPAN the day Rumsfeld was first before Congress to get his Defense Secretary job confirmed under Bush. Asked if he'd oversee a thorough accounting to explain then-"missing" 3 trillion dollars, he laughed in the Committee's faces. Then they confirmed him. TIME TO DUMP THESE FLAG-WAVING PSYCHOPATHS>

[NibiruLives]

Let's just "harvest" a few more trillion and give it to our Wall Street masters....they will wind-up with it anyway, whatever you do.

[romanpr1nce]

This news organization is rather odd.

I'm not saying I disagree with it, it just seems extremely ideological, very one sided, only has one point of view in interviews (again I'm not saying I disagree with it), and it entertains no other views contrary to their own.

Russia Today is certainly a good alternative for news, but it could be slightly more open in terms of their topics of discussion.

[modelmark]

What is that? A retired colonel without ties to the military industrial complex? I thought after retirement they all used their connections inside the Pentagon to move tax payer money to businesses on whose payroll they are.

[shyawnlinmonk]

OH FUCK LOOK A REAL MAN!!! AND HE'S AMERICAN ... MUST BE THE LAST ONE AH?

[Flugabwehrkanone]

If RT is interviewing the combatreform guys, they should go whole hog and interview Mike "Gavin" Sparks and Ralph Zumbro. At least Sparks. That would kick serious ass.

[subwayesk]

i like him invite him more on the show



[neoplasmax]

Scary if we ever had a real war strike all sudden.  We're too broke to do anything.

[reachingbeyond]

rich american people START PAYING TAXES and help your country survive. from México City. Bernardo

[BliksemSP]

Too deadly, also.

[kroovyandcal]

I am Douglas too!

[searching68]

WAKE THE HELL UP AMERICA! --- Join the Revolution

-

Read “Common Sense 3.1” at ( revolution2.osixs.org )

-

We don’t have to live like this anymore. "Spread the News"

FIGHT THE CAUSE - NOT THE SYMPTOM

[stewspin]

The colonel is entirely correct about the "neo-Wilsonian lens" and the saving of a trillion dollars just on base closures all over the planet. Some would say, though, that an existential military threat to the United States didn't exist even before 1989. It's only a matter of time before even the vested interests in military spending understand it simply costs more money than it's worth.

[davidsp01]

very smart man

[GreatBigBore]

If we took a fraction of our military budget and used it to help the starving people of the world, we'd be a lot safer.

[MrViTopol]

Lauren has too much lip gloss. she looks like she hasn't wipe her mouth after polishing some dude's boner in the RT bathroom.

[Skeptic121]

It is a rare barber who admits you don't need a haircut. A rare exterminator who admits you don't have any termites or cockroaches. A rare military man who admits we face no credible threats.

[theH0UNDSofD00M]

Wait...Is this a REAL right winger???? OMG!! I thought the REAL conservatives/republicans were all massacred by the Tea Party and their minions

[MrViTopol]

@theH0UNDSofD00M GOP = GAY ORGY PICKNIC

[HK379]

So RON PAUL is Lenin !? All right  now i get it .

[thorkyll]

"RON PAUL ISN'T ONE OF THEM" <<<< so true, he's one of only about 3 honest politicians in Washington.

[myromeodude123]

I would argue that it might be beneficial for Iran to possess nuclear weapons to counter balance the arsenals of US imperialism and of Israel. Or better yet, lets get rid of them all. The whole issue seems hypocritical creating instability. Americas threat is internal not an external one with the exception of blowback from our imperialism and self-inflicted war on terror. Let the corporations fight their own wars through honest, competitive trade. The taxpayers can't afford their wars anymore.

[Oceanno69]

I guess the 4 peeps that do not like this vid lives in La LA LAND!

[justiceissrvd]

I wonder if by year 3000, children will open their history textbooks and USA would be known as "GREAT ROMAN EMPIRE"

[vladdrac88]

Very informative headline....good job in language many can understand..... :)

[Afghani5tan]

the fault of the american citizen that their usa empire is bankrupt- and near to a colaps. they have no right to cry about the situation because they watched the last 10 years how their goverment wastet trillion of dollars for wars. more than 4 trillion dollars for the afghan war wow nice with this money you could rebuild 10 times new orleans :)

[titan13131]

The politicians can say that Iran and China are a huge threats all they want but it doesn't matter, the USA economy is on the edge of complete collapse. These politicians and most Americans wont see it until it hits them right in the face. I don't think they have the intellect to understand the basic austrian economic fundamentals.

[ViciousCritique]

US will never bankrupt .......just watch.

People who say USA will bankrupt are only hardcore commies , euro haters , stupid russians etc ..........simply the best people u can find.

[toplicajakovljevic]

@ViciousCritique

Maybe the US won't bankrupt but you will.

If you think the government will pay for your benefits and pension before they pay for a plane or bomb then you're an idiot, nigger, faggot, redneck, stupid american etc.......... simply the best people you can find

[IgorVasilevskii]

@ViciousCritique

Just face it. Normal people hate american scum. It's normal. You are evil and a threat to the World.

[vladdrac88]

@IgorVasilevskii :) Igor! "The American People" are not as bad as you think else the rulers and their friends like Rupert Murdoch would not feel the need to lie so much to the Americans via their "Media". Most Americans are unaware of the levels of killing of innocents. They are busy fearing weather or not they will be able to pay their bill's or keep their homes.

[IAMLelouchVBritannia]

@ViciousCritique

That's very delusional. Of course the US will bankrupt, if you don't know that by now there's going to be no helping you.

[ViciousCritique]

@IAMLelouchVBritannia Thats only your sick wish .

[IAMLelouchVBritannia]

@ViciousCritique

Well, don't come crying to us when it does collapse.

[MrStaxxy]

@ViciousCritique

who wouldn't hate euro ? I mean, nobody wanted it, european government FORCED their people.

[stealthpakfa]

US is bankrupt.

[PatricksTime]

@stealthpakfa ya think?

[eedobee]

@stealthpakfa Dude, bankruptcy is out of money. US owes $14 trillion dollars. That is much, much worse.

[JVL8701]

there will be time in the future where US citizen will bcame slave like previous superpower. and when that time comes, i make sure my great great grand child to hire a white and american maid, and make her/him wash my shoe and clean my house

[Bernd1964]

I can't concur with Mr. Macgregor's we-rhetoric because the United states of America is a corrupt entity. A criminal international banking cartel which evolved from the British Empire, has taken over all US governmental leadership and institutions. The US citizenry is a debt-enslaved and media controlled colony of an invisible very old empire. Obama and other US politicians are mere puppets of Wall Street and the City of London. The US citizenry is living in a big lie, it is plundered by design.

[landlogger]

Civilian Victims of

USA Foreign Policy TITLE CORRECT

krysstal.com/democracy_whyusa0­6.html

[landlogger]

Coups Arranged or Backed

by the USA

TITLE CORRECT TO SEARCH

krysstal.com/democracy_whyusa0­1.html

[watertonrivers]

Refreshing, a retired Colonel who knows history and is actually forward thinking...the guy would make an excellent running mate for Ron Paul!!

[landlogger]

@watertonrivers Did he get on the committee of 12 crooks?

[watertonrivers]

@landlogger Could you please elaborate? He's not a Senator or a Representative, he's a retired colonel.

[landlogger]

@watertonrivers hello: This is the so called "Super Congress. Committee of 12." I was joking here. Like Ron Paul some people have to much common sense to be included in really important things.

New 'Super Congress', same old special interests

.

TITLE CORRECT TO SEARCH

guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/c­ifamerica/2011/aug/11/super-co­ngress-special-interests

[landlogger]

@watertonrivers P.S. If I misread you and you know of the committee of 12, I think that Though he is a retired colonel others should be included in this 12 for their input. Fresh blood so to speak.

[watertonrivers]

@landlogger Actually, the committee of 12 is un-Constitutional, so it's kind of a mute point and additionally he would be rejected on the grounds he's not a globalist scumbucket!!

[llgreenmega]

Wow, a former colonel advocating the end to American empire; there is some hope!

[OldSkaterGuy]

I do not like how she cut him off at the end when he was just about to start railing on that guy in the White House.

My views on RT are starting to change.

[bthbxtr]

Other countries need to pay us for having our troops there .

[DesiRockMetal]

@bthbxtr Other countries need to stick a bamboo up your ass for having your troops in their countries.

[bthbxtr]

@DesiRockMetal If they have our troops there , it kind of makes them our countries now , doesn't it ? Best just feed that bamboo to some endangered species .

[TheBrradsullivan]

@bthbxtr ...HAHAHAHAH they are blowing themselves up trying to get us to leave, i think theyd rather just NOT be occupied by a foreign military dictatorship !

[mysterywhiteboy72]

@bthbxtr Other countries do pay for having your troops there: In blood, austerity measures, un-payable debt, destroyed communities, shattered families, 90% of the world's heroin supply (despite being guarded by troops still reaches the public the world over), Lithium, Oil... and for who? Not you unless you are in the top 1% of the world's richest.

[RemoveYourChains]

America is between a rock and a hard place.

Yes, its empire is way too expensive to sustain. YET this empire is an integral part of the nation's economic model, and has been at least since WWI (arguably even earlier.)

Much of America's past prosperity wasn't a consequence of genius, but a shifting combination of absolute/comparative advantage and global hegemony. Now empire is all the U.S has left.

[wviral]

@RemoveYourChains 100% true. One remark though - US empire is an integral part of the World economic model too. And of what they call the World Order too. So by dismantling it you ask for the New World Order to emerge, which actually isn't a new thing at all. The last New World Order came after WWII, of which the real victor was US (in terms of influence gains I mean). Plz google news headlines "New World Order" for that period (google news archive goes into 19 century) - you'll get surprised.

[tirmit]

"Ron Paul is not one of them" excuse me sir

[den2003]

Wow! What a straight forward interview! You don't get much of that on a mainstream news network! Too bad she had to abruptly cut him off like that at the end after his seemingly sincere answers to her questions.

[seanlaca]

I enjoyed this guy's commentary. You should have him on more.

[flyyspit]

Tick Tock Tick Tock..

The inevitable is coming..

[88alvi]

I bet, if america bring its forces back to home from all over the world, there can be peace in world.

[vladdrac88]

There is zero need to hold on to vital resources at gunpoint anymore. If Russia, China, the EU and the the US cooperate on this 'new' "Scramjet Technology" the human race can begin the economic exploitation of, for all intents and purposes, unlimited energy and resources. If the super powers pool their defense budgets, in less than a decade the worlds economies could enter on a course never possible before. Permanent Worldwide Economic growth; who knows maybe even permanent Peace ?:)

[r0ll0t0masi]

Panetta is right, too many enemies...

[vladdrac88]

@r0ll0t0masi Yeah! And just why are they enemies? When you dig out from under the mountain of verbage, racial, nationalist and religious finger pointing, its all about the state of the local economy. A favorite human saying 'dumb as a fight in a burning house'. Shut down the demonizing you're neighbors propaganda mills. Announce you're intentions to cooperate and why. Then get er done.

[jonahfox]

Lauren is so hot.

[harveybirdmannequin]

You can't fully trust anyone who has been in the government. Even this guest who is in favour of cutting military spending is doing so with the motivation of making the military stronger.

The people who bad mouth the F-35 are actually in favour of buying more of the more expensive F-22's or developing new planes to replace the F-35. There is no one who has a moral conscience. The USA knows it cannot compete in a peacetime economy. The military is out of control.

[dirtbagstatus]

We could save trillions by drafting chuck norris into the military.

[vinnys025]

Why can't they show the people what kind of cuts are on the table and have THE PEOPLE vote on it like we vote in our presidents? Show us a list of each and every cut and we will decide which ones need to be trimmed.

[idontbelieveinDeath]

Great guest RTA!

[goldsilverandiamonds]

Thumbs up for expanding the military and cutting all social programs!!!!

[MrStaxxy]

Lol people finally figuring out US are a military state...

[98bigbutt]

American Imperialism and Israeli Zionist Government=The real terrorists.

[98bigbutt]

Former President Eisenhower has warned America about the dangers of the Military Industrial Complex but did those assholes listen? FUCK NO!!!!!!!

[superphi]

The USA will reset with nukes when it is time that is y they r borrowing so much money, they don't care to pay it back so when it is time only a selected amount of pple will be saved and everybody will be nuked.

[Quierotortilla]

To hell with the military ! The US needs a civil reconstruction !

[ernesdee2o916]

America went to Vietnam for the wrong reason and in Iraq. This country is a load of crooks and shit heads. freedocumentaries[dot]org

learn and listen.

[markymarkuss777]

@RTAMERICA INSTEAD OF DROPPING BOMBS ON OUR ENEMIES, JUST THINK IF WE DROPPED FOOD ON THEM.

[mstrephoenix1]

HURRY AND CONECT THE FUCKING DOTS SHEEPLE SOS IN BHA BHAAAA BHA BHAAAAAAAAAA BAA BHAAAA BHAAAA BHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

[alixix]

Us Empire?...really now

[OnenessNow]

We the seven billion of Earth want nothing but Peace, Love and Light on Earth always.We want the END of ALL WAR on this planet and the end of the NUCLEAR NIGHTMARE.

Official First Contact and the end of the TRUTH EMBARGO will soon be here

Michael Moore speaks for the compassionate HEART of AMERICA NOW

Love and protect Earth and her precious Air, Water and Soil by all means

Help us ban HYDRO FRACKING Worldwide as this poisons Trillions of gallons of fresh water 4 all generations.

[mstrephoenix1]

I KNOW HOW TO FIX IT! leave me the worlds 100,000 MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN OF DA WORLD! the rest can jump off a cliff and i will repopulate the world and make things better ok a few best friends can help but its the best plan i think

[mstrephoenix1]

@mstrephoenix1 rt chicks get to stay to help me :P

[softer26]

@mstrephoenix1 like of all americans your plan is to expensive. Russian guy can repopulate planet with 100 girls.

ACCEPT MY PLAN! it is more cheaper! Only 100 girls!

[chocomalk]

Ask Rome if it's empire was too expensive....oh wait.

[LadyOfMyth]

@chocomalk Lol I <3 you.

[chocomalk]

@LadyOfMyth

<3

[Theuf28]

@chocomalk LMAO history repeating itself alright ! ;)

[xoneram]

@chocomalk lol

[TheReallitycheck]

As its DEFENCE spending cut the whole fucking budget as your not DEFENDING your borders. Your ATTACKING others on the opposite side of the globe. By calling it DEFENCE spending they are screwing with your perception of reality.

[somebungholio]

@TheReallitycheck Yep. Label brainwashing is one of the most pervasive forms of control and manipulation in today's society. Most often used by governments and corporations to impose false meanings based on pre-conceived notions.

[volrobi]

fuc*ing US should not start any wars,,,they must stop`em,and get all troops back to the country,and to start normal trading instead of robbing and killing,fighting etc....

mostly we can blame it on the leaders of US. WHO ARE THEY??????? it is the major question

[Mahoivlich]

The US spends way too much on tech and not enough on training troops. There is no need to buy Ferrari when all you need is a Ford. The tank battles between the Soviets and Germany are a great example. The Germans had overly complicated and engineered equipment no one could fix in the field and took way too long to produce, so losses were almost permanent.

[Srbosloven]

what a snail...

[goscott4]

Then, a Mighty Angel picked up a boulder shaped like a huge Mill Stone, and threw it into the

Atlantic Ocean,

and cried mightily with a loud voice saying!!

Just as I have thrown away this stone, the great city of Babylon will be thrown down with violence , and shall never be found again!!!

The Book Of Revelation, Chapter 18 verse 21

[Polydynamix]

@goscott4 "your comment is irrelevant"

The book of logic, chapter 2 verse 11c

[goscott4]

Jhn 3: 16-17

[Polydynamix]

@goscott4 oh, yeah, the verse that says a magic cloud man loved you so much that he murdered his son and if you believe it, you will be immortal.

[goscott4]

@Polydynamix So nice to consult and expert on this matter, glad you chimed in! BTW how is Hitchins?

REV 18

[sharafudin2]

America will became three world country soon.

[mrzack888]

@sharafudin2 no. four.

[Polydynamix]

@sharafudin2 A "three world country" would be a country which owned 3 planets I assume, a third world country (which is most likely what you meant) doesn't mean poor at all, it means neutral alignment. The term comes from the cold war, and is an american term. The first world was america and it's allies, the second world was russia and its allies, and the third world was neutrally aligned- mostly because they were too powerless to have an interest to either side.

[idontbelieveinDeath]

@Polydynamix I had always thought that first, second, and third world referred to economic power, and political stability.

[Polydynamix]

@idontbelieveinDeath It somewhat ended up meaning that, but only by proxy. The term 3rd world referring to the places on earth which were of no interest to either the russians or the americans. These countries did in deed turn out to be primarily poor and worthless places, but it's not a prerequisite.

[idontbelieveinDeath]

@Polydynamix Interesting, thanks.

[lppoqql]

WHY WOULD THESE PEOPLE SPENT SO MUCH MONEY PISSING OFF THE WORLD? THEY NEED TO SPENT THE MONEY HELPING PEOPLE AT HOME.

[jadaya1234]

@lppoqql read some history on the cold war and the Soviet Union and youll quickly findout why.

[jadaya1234]

@lppoqql ill give you a little tip - its the same reason the CCCP collapsed, this is jsut a delayed effect of the cold war.

[Tressco]

@lppoqql

"A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes."

- Major General Smedley Butler ("War Is A Racket")

[fbmbirds]

FIRST FIRST FUCKING FIRST>

[goscott4]

@fbmbirds OK>>>>WE HEAR YOU...hehehehehe

[mstrephoenix1]

@fbmbirds 3RD I GET THE BRONZ! GO HOME LOSERS! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!