Defense Spending & Local Economies

[Col Hogan]

If you think paying for social programs by cutting defense spending is a good idea...you don't understand how local economies would be impacted...

This is especially true when purchases are cut...

http://lexingtoninstitute.org/1373.shtml

[dbackjon]

So basically defense spending contains a great deal of local pork/stimulus/welfare?

[Col Hogan]

So basically defense spending contains a great deal of local pork/stimulus/welfare?

You can/will call it what you want...all I know is, defense is listed as one of the major duties of the Federal Government...social spending isn't...

You be the judge...

[houndawg]

So basically defense spending contains a great deal of local pork/stimulus/welfare?

You can/will call it what you want...all I know is, defense is listed as one of the major duties of the Federal Government...social spending isn't...

You be the judge...

Let's see, wasn't there something about standing armies.........

[Col Hogan]

You can/will call it what you want...all I know is, defense is listed as one of the major duties of the Federal Government...social spending isn't...

You be the judge...

Let's see, wasn't there something about standing armies.........

Yep...now, go read it and tell me how that applies here...

[dbackjon]

So basically defense spending contains a great deal of local pork/stimulus/welfare?

You can/will call it what you want...all I know is, defense is listed as one of the major duties of the Federal Government...social spending isn't...

You be the judge...

I am not saying it is not. But all too often defense spending IS PORK, not needed for the constitutionally required defense commitments.

Unnecessary spending, whether to keep an unneeded base open, to build unwanted weapons, or to overpay private contractors to do work that could be done much cheaper in house is pork/welfare anyway you slice it.

[Col Hogan]

You can/will call it what you want...all I know is, defense is listed as one of the major duties of the Federal Government...social spending isn't...

You be the judge...

I am not saying it is not. But all too often defense spending IS PORK, not needed for the constitutionally required defense commitments.

Unnecessary spending, whether to keep an unneeded base open, to build unwanted weapons, or to overpay private contractors to do work that could be done much cheaper in house is pork/welfare anyway you slice it.

Don't agree with your assessment about pork...

But so is a bunch of the stimulus package...

So, do you cut defense "pork" and put a bunch of people out of work...and more stress on the economy???

Do you accept that some is pork that employs people and keep the level of spending...

Do you increase weapons building, which employees more people in communities normally not tied to defense spending???

[houndawg]

Let's see, wasn't there something about standing armies.........

Yep...now, go read it and tell me how that applies here...

Military spending is social spending.

[Col Hogan]

Yep...now, go read it and tell me how that applies here...

Military spending is social spending.

If you twist the defination to meet your needs....I guess...

But, defense spending is a mandate of the Federal Government in the Constitution...

Show me where social spending is...

[houndawg]

Military spending is social spending.

If you twist the defination to meet your needs....I guess...

But, defense spending is a mandate of the Federal Government in the Constitution...

Show me where social spending is...

Doesn't take any twisting at all, Colonel. Military doesn't want a system, Congress says you will build it (in my district)- that's social spending. Would you feel better if there was a signing statement?

[Col Hogan]

If you twist the defination to meet your needs....I guess...

But, defense spending is a mandate of the Federal Government in the Constitution...

Show me where social spending is...

Doesn't take any twisting at all, Colonel. Military doesn't want a system, Congress says you will build it (in my district)- that's social spending. Would you feel better if there was a signing statement?

I didn't argue it isn't defense PORK...

But calling it social spending is twisting the defination, any way you look at it...

Transportation is also a federal mandate, but transportation pork is not social spending...

You can twist stuff to match your need if you wish...

[dbackjon]

I don't have a problem with most of the military pork right now

[houndawg]

Doesn't take any twisting at all, Colonel. Military doesn't want a system, Congress says you will build it (in my district)- that's social spending. Would you feel better if there was a signing statement?

I didn't argue it isn't defense PORK...

But calling it social spending is twisting the defination, any way you look at it...

Transportation is also a federal mandate, but transportation pork is not social spending...

You can twist stuff to match your need if you wish...

Then you need to provide your definition of social spending.....

[Col Hogan]

I didn't argue it isn't defense PORK...

But calling it social spending is twisting the defination, any way you look at it...

Transportation is also a federal mandate, but transportation pork is not social spending...

You can twist stuff to match your need if you wish...

Then you need to provide your definition of social spending.....

Education, welfare, social security, Medicare, unemployment, just to name a few...

Things not listed as federal responsibilities in the Constitution...

[dbackjon]

Then you need to provide your definition of social spending.....

Education, welfare, social security, Medicare, unemployment, just to name a few...

Things not listed as federal responsibilities in the Constitution...

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

What do you mean. Welfare is mentioned in the opening paragraph

[Col Hogan]

Education, welfare, social security, Medicare, unemployment, just to name a few...

Things not listed as federal responsibilities in the Constitution...

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

What do you mean. Welfare is mentioned in the opening paragraph

And are you saying that what we today call "WELFARE" is what the framers of the Constitution meant when they wrote "promote the general welfare"...is it your arguement that they set us up as a welfare nation???

Don't answer that just yet...

In the days the Constitution was written, the general welfare was basically their way of saying everyone should benefit from the laws...and what the government counld provide...not just specific people...

http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_pre.html

Now, you can't take words from the preamble without going into the body of the Constitution to find out "what the government could provide...those things are clearly laid out...things like the Post Office...Roads...defense...courts...immigration, tariffs...

You will not find anything like education or unemployment, welfare as we define it today...social programs in general...

According to the 10th amendment, those are possible, but relegated to the states to make that decision...