Benjamin Friedman on the Defense Budget (CNBC)

[mrt613]

ben supports american protectionism.

[jo232409]

I can't even follow the dialog because there's so much crap distractions on screen. Damn, Cato, why CNBC? You could reach more influential people with a bullhorn. Your words do not matter to these people - stop talking to them.

[whoo689]

I'm not anti-military or a pacifist, but I just don't see much use in recruiters in schools. If kids at the age of 18 wanna join the military, fine. That's THEIR prerogative. What study shows that we need military folks in schools to get kids to enlist? I'm sure they could just as easiliy get interested in the military, get informed and call up a recruiting station somewhere in their area. After all, this IS the 21st Century. We're the only country that does recruiting nonsense.

[badmf13]

It really doesn't make any difference, the recruiters do not actively speak to students. The recruiters are only there as an option. I am still in high school and barely notice them. However the failed No Child Left Behind act requires that the schools give the contact info to the recruiters which is not right.

[rickysles]

Well there in lies the problem with government schools. Government schools can crony up with government programs. We need less government in our schools for many reasons, mainly so that the quality of education will increase, but also so that we as parents can have more say over what kind of information is being distributed to our children.

[whoo689]

I hate to borrow from a failed president like Jimmy Carter, but we have "endangered our values" very much so. I mean, what kind of right-thinking country (or gov't) actually lets people trade stocks from DEFENSE CONTRACTORS, you know, companies that build weapons of war that kill and destroy on massive scales?

I say we just scrap the fucking military-industrial complex. It's one of the few big iron triangles left that needs to go. It's time to modernize.

[whoo689]

I'm also not too keen on recruiters in schools. Or those ridiculous ads on TV. I mean, who are they shitting? Military is about fighting and dying for your country and whatnot! It's not about "getting a college degree" and "going far in life." I mean, sure, because we're so wealthy our military can afford to spend on all that extra crap, but everyone knows the first priority of a military. It's not a cakewalk, as these ads make it out to be. War isn't a game.

[migkillertwo]

seriously, you could not be more wrong

First off: This country has ALWAYS had a military-industrial complex

second: The military industrial complex, because it utilizes free-market principles, is able to provide the US with top-of-the-line weaponry

third: professional militaries have ALWAYS been about the benefits. Nationwide militarism needs to go, humans have always hired people to fight and die for them.

[israelandersonvideo]

"The military industrial complex, because it utilizes free-market principles"

LMAO... ok, buddy, whatever you say...

[migkillertwo]

thank you for that complex, well thought-out, and devastating argument.

[mcgrawtim123]

Dude! You should check out Alex Jones' Channel. We can't scrap the effing military-industrial complex. The MIC is gonna scrap us.

[whoo689]

It's no wonder Obama only said ONCE in his whole campaign trail that he'd actually significantly cut defense (in a relatively short video that I don't think a lot of people saw, esp. those who don't go online much). He obviously wasn't gonna cut in the first place!

Do you Democrats finally realize the mistake you made propping this guy up? I mean, for fuck's sake, Mike Gravel had more Senate experience than this guy! Even Dennis Kucinich was in the House longer.

[CountArtha]

Nooooo!  Not the F-22!

Doesn't he know how many Boeing and Lockheed-Martin jobs are wrapped up in that thing!?

[ka7krz]

Mostly just buying white flags? These guys are destroying US. Defense is the best way to stimulate the economy as well.