Military spending vs healthcare spending

[Lucky... 0]

We spend over 1/2 trillion dollars on the military every year. That's 8 times the #2 spender, Britain. The US accounts for about 45% of the world's military budget, yet we are 4.5% of the world's population.

OTOH, we have many people w/o medical care, about 50 million (1 in 6), and the others that have it get some 1/2 ass HMO that really doesn't defer the costs in a major sense in many cases. Socialized nations that spend far less on the military, yet they provide basic healthcare and most other nations are kicking the shit out of our currency and have been for the last 7 years.

So with this information, how do you feel?

[Gawain 0]

Allow me to round out your point: In addition, the US spends even more on the Department of Health & Human Services, while DoD gets $560B-ish, HHS is closer to $700B (about $680B).

How many wasted dollars on failed social programs could be re-directed to the effort to cure cancer, and do you feel comfortable about that?

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[Lucky... 0]

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Allow me to round out your point: In addition, the US spends even more on the Department of Health & Human Services, while DoD gets $560B-ish, HHS is closer to $700B (about $680B).

How many wasted dollars on failed social programs could be re-directed to the effort to cure cancer, and do you feel comfortable about that?

There's absolutely money wasted in all areas of government spending, but what I think the denominator is should be based upon need. Do we need to spend 560B/yr on the military? Do we need to spend another 150+B per year on the Iraq so-called War in addition to the 560B? I think getting out of Iraq, cutting military spending in half and spending more toward basic healthcare and cancer research would fix so many issues we have domestically and abroad. Essentially follow their models since ours is obviously not working.

[lawrocket 3]

Define "need." If based on "need" then we should know what "need" means.

It seems to me that you do not think that you "need" health insurance. Otherwise you would have purchased it. To me it is a "need." So I purchased it. It means I can't do some of my "wants" because I cannot afford those "wants."

And - EMTALA has made sure that those with a "need" are treated, hasn't it? (And bankrupted a whole bunch of hospitals, too.)

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Lucky... 0]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Define "need." If based on "need" then we should know what "need" means.


Oh I dunno, 50 million w/o any healthcare whatsoever and millions more underinsured. Cancer claiming how many millions of lives? Do we need to be ridiculously fundamental?


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>It seems to me that you do not think that you "need" health insurance. Otherwise you would have purchased it. To me it is a "need." So I purchased it. It means I can't do some of my "wants" because I cannot afford those "wants."



I do need it and can't afford it, considerring it's 1/2 ass, 10% coverage anyway. Furthermore, it's not about me, it's about many very low socio-economic classed people.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>And - EMTALA has made sure that those with a "need" are treated, hasn't it? (And bankrupted a whole bunch of hospitals, too.)


I dunno, you tell me. Hospitals, as a whole, are making a killinmg profit-wise; our fascist gov ensures that.

[Rookie120 0]

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I dunno, you tell me. Hospitals, as a whole, are making a killinmg profit-wise; our fascist gov ensures that.

Tell that to the hospitals in the NYC area that have closed this year alone because the non-payments and they had to shut down.

If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

[FallingOsh 0]

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We spend over 1/2 trillion dollars on the military every year. That's 8 times the #2 spender, Britain. The US accounts for about 45% of the world's military budget, yet we are 4.5% of the world's population.

OTOH, we have many people w/o medical care, about 50 million (1 in 6), and the others that have it get some 1/2 ass HMO that really doesn't defer the costs in a major sense in many cases. Socialized nations that spend far less on the military, yet they provide basic healthcare and most other nations are kicking the shit out of our currency and have been for the last 7 years.

So with this information, how do you feel?

You're scewing the numbers to make it look worse than it is. I hate statistics for that very reason. If you look at military spending as a function of GDP, then we're down around #40 in the world.

What nations, specifically, are you talking about that spend less on the military and more on healthcare and have a stronger currency? France, I guess. According to the link, they're #47 and we're #46. Personally I don't think France's military is something we should be striving for.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mil_exp_dol_fig_pergdp-expenditures-dollar-figure-per-gdp

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