The Political Discussion Thread

[Annoyed]

Simple, embrace free trade end protectionism and end this nonsense of partisan politics...bring back Reagan republicans. Because the US was the strongest in the 80's and peaked in the 90's.

Hardly. In my opinion, we peaked in the 60's, with the Apollo space project, spurred on by Kennedy (Yes, there can be a Democrat that I respect and would support!)

It can be argued that the entire first half of the twentieth century was our peak as well, as the U.S. was decisive in not one but two world wars started by aggressive nations who were eventually defeated.

But I would rather hold the 60's Apollo program in higher esteem because all that effort and energy went into moving mankind forward rather than being used to wage war among ourselves.

[Womble]

Hardly. In my opinion, we peaked in the 60's, with the Apollo space project, spurred on by Kennedy (Yes, there can be a Democrat that I respect and would support!)

It can be argued that the entire first half of the twentieth century was our peak as well, as the U.S. was decisive in not one but two world wars started by aggressive nations who were eventually defeated.

But I would rather hold the 60's Apollo program in higher esteem because all that effort and energy went into moving mankind forward rather than being used to wage war among ourselves.

Uh, you do realize that the Apollo program was driven by what Kennedy termed the "missile gap" - perceived superiority of Soviet ballistic missiles in both numbers and quality? One of the main goals of Apollo was technological competition with the USSR and development of military technologies.

[Gatefan1976]

Damn near everything the US has done post WW2 has been for military advancement.........

[Womble]

Damn near everything the US has done post WW2 has been for military advancement.........

Damn near every country that had a space program, had it primarily for military advancement...

[Gatefan1976]

Damn near every country that had a space program, had it primarily for military advancement...

Oh, I agree with that Womble, but if you look across the spectrum of US "big business", you will invariably find -a lot- of money going to Boing, N/G, G-E, and other various military designers, think tanks and production.
WW2 -proved- how "good" a military economy can be for 'murrica, and they have not looked back (IMHO)

[Womble]

Oh, I agree with that Womble, but if you look across the spectrum of US "big business", you will invariably find -a lot- of money going to Boing, N/G, G-E, and other various military designers, think tanks and production.

And then it spills over to civilian applications and you get microwaves, wrist watches, GPS navigation for your car, personal computers, zippers, nylon, duct tape and the Internet.

I see nothing wrong with a lot of money going to the defense industry. Pretty much everything we use in daily life was invented for one war or another.

[pookey]

War makes them think faster and produce better products

[Gatefan1976]

And then it spills over to civilian applications and you get microwaves, wrist watches, GPS navigation for your car, personal computers, zippers, nylon, duct tape and the Internet.

Sure.

I see nothing wrong with a lot of money going to the defense industry. Pretty much everything we use in daily life was invented for one war or another.

Yes, because need is the mother of invention.
I'm not "down on the Military" Womble, many of my family (even just out to first cousins) serve in every branch of the Australian Military, and all but one of my fathers 6 brothers served either directly or through the reserves, so never think I am a "military=bad" person.
What I -am- down on however is the seeming "need" to invent wars to keep war profiteering companies in business. I am "down" on the leaders of the military being ignored when it comes to their budget, or their needs so a politician can get their finger in the pie. (look at the latest Aircraft they want the US to buy for example, no one in the USAF actually -wants- it, they would rather spend less money to keep the planes they have viable).


War for the sake of money is foolish and a waste of resources.

[Gatefan1976]

War makes them think faster and produce better products

I don't think so.
I think it produces focused products faster, but better?
I am not so sure pooks.

[Falcon Horus]

Trump hasn't ruled out dropping a nuclear bomb on Europe..
No one is sure why he wants to but he can never back down once he says something..

America still has some nuclear weapons stashed in Belgium -- he can have those.

It can be argued that the entire first half of the twentieth century was our peak as well, as the U.S. was decisive in not one but two world wars started by aggressive nations who were eventually defeated.

Wars they didn't join until they were provoked -- April 2nd, 1917 for WWI & December 7th, 1941 for WWII.
So, it's fair to say that if the US hadn't been provoked, Europe would look quite differently altogether. I'd probably be speaking German as my native language, or more likely not exist at all.

WWI ended on the 11th of november 1918, at noon.
Your country sat on the neutral bench for 95% of the time, and the last 5 percent was provoked. You have no right to call your involvement decisive. You cleaned up the mess sure, but please... if Germany hadn't tried to coax Mexico into its warmongering, the US had stayed out of it.

[Gatefan1976]

Go away with your so called "facts" FH....................

[Womble]

I don't think so.
I think it produces focused products faster, but better?
I am not so sure pooks.

She's right. Demands for product quality are higher in military industry.

[Gatefan1976]

She's right. Demands for product quality are higher in military industry.

Poor choice of words on my part.
I meant "better products" (as in, better for people), not a indictment of quality of goods.
My bad here.

[Annoyed]

Uh, you do realize that the Apollo program was driven by what Kennedy termed the "missile gap" - perceived superiority of Soviet ballistic missiles in both numbers and quality? One of the main goals of Apollo was technological competition with the USSR and development of military technologies.

Of course I know that military superiority was a motivating factor in the space race. But it was still energy and effort expended in beneficial ways, rather than warfare.

[Gatefan1976]

Of course I know that military superiority was a motivating factor in the space race. But it was still energy and effort expended in beneficial ways, rather than warfare.

So, why support someone who wants to get rid of federal support of education?