Can't Afford to be Weak

[abaris]

Sorry, missread totally. My bad.

[Minimalist]

Last night, on Real Time Bill Maher asked Ret. Col. Lawrence Wilkerson the following.  Wilkerson was Chief of Staff to Colin Powell when he was Sec. St.  Let him give his answer.

[Chad32]

If christians come by, they may mention how we need to help the jews take Israel, so the end times can come. Whereby all but 144,000 jews will die afterwards.

[AFTT47]

If anything we are a world leader because of Hollywood and our music industry. We are the cultural center of the world.

Uhh! Seriously!? If I agreed with you, I'd be rooting for our death! Rap is the cultural future of our species!? Bring on the roaches! That would be an improvement!

Anyway, you may be right but that's my whole point. We ARE the cultural center of the world (much to the detriment of the world) but that's BECAUSE of our power. Do you seriously think the rest of the world would follow us if it were not for that? That would be a massive improvement of our species in the way of culture if they didn't BUT: There are a lot of good things about this country that it's great that the world follows. Human rights don't come from the sky. They exist only because of the power to defend them. THAT is the value of the USA. Europe is far more enlightened than us in that regard but they don't have the power to influence the world the way we do. Worldwide human rights exist largely because of the power of the USA.

I can't speak with authority on the relative military strength of the USA compared to rest of the world. I am fully aware of the relative spending difference - for now. But spending is all for naught without the manufacturing capability to back it up. We prevailed in WW1 and WW2 because of our enormous manufacturing power. We don't have that today. We have become a nation of consumers reliant on others to make our toys for us. The only thing keeping us afloat is military spending, civil aviation and niche manufacturing like private space flight.

Anyone who thinks this isn't a problem is kidding themselves. This country is losing its power. And any of the fools who like to cry about 'Murica are going to love China for liberal values if we go down.

[Minimalist]

Again, we manufacture different things but no less a mouthpiece than the Wall Street Journal disagrees with you.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/...d-save-it/

As you can see that recent recession hurt but output is indeed at or at least about at record ever levels. And do note what this is measuring: it’s the value of what is manufactured and yes, of course, as it is an index it is inflation adjusted. America makes more now than it did in the 90s, more even than in the 50s, those supposedly great days when a middle class living could be made by hitting things with a hammer.

What’s actually being complained about is that manufacturing employment has fallen as a percentage of the total workforce as this chart shows:

We don't seem to have any trouble manufacturing planes or tanks or ships.  Even when we don't need them.
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/...-need.html

Pentagon Tells Congress to Stop Buying Equipment it Doesn't Need

We insist on maintaining obsolete aircraft because politicians don't want to lose bases in their districts.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/...etire.html

The House Armed Services Committee inserted $683 million into the 2016 defense bill to stop the Air Force from retiring the A-10 Warthog.
However, Air Force leaders said the service will have to mothball F-16s and delay the deployment of the F-35 in response to the move by the committee.
Service leaders have said for years the Air Force can no longer afford the A-10. The service said it needs to dedicate resources and manning toward the F-35. Congress has since pushed back saying the service must keep the close-air-support aircraft.

Not that the F-35 is anything to write home about but keeping obsolete planes because their base is in the home state of the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee is, frankly, bullshit.

And, not to forget the Navy.... we insist on building $13.5 billion dollar carriers like the new USS Gerald Ford but even here there is a serious debate going on.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/why-the...1600899834

Why The US Navy Should Build Smaller Aircraft Carriers

Our problem is one of will - and political expediency.  But if there is one thing the military industrial complex can do it is build weapons....whether we need them or not.

[Secular Elf]

I have to say that I agree with the OP's main concerns. I am quite liberal to moderate in most of my views but I am also no pacifist. Having studied some history I am aware that when other stronger nations or not so strong countries perceive a weakness in your own country's position in either power, or you have something that they want like land or resources, they will take advantage of you. It is just human nature. I think the U.S. needs to maintain a strong military and keep up with technology. According to one video I have seen (5 Ways America is Already Socialist) American taxpayers' give 27% of every dollar to the military, which budgets out at $598.5 billion, to the detriment of other things such as science, education, and infrastructure. Sometimes we have heard over the years the military budget wasteful spending (and other government spending) on such things as 50 dollar hammers or 200 dollar toilet seats. When I learned, a few years back, that the U.S. Army was spending money on dowsing research (holding two rods or a forked stick to find water, or in this case, bunkers and tunnels) I flipped! I could not believe that shit! We should spend smarter, not larger. I support a strong military for defense mainly, and should only have just enough weaponry to smack the shit out of any country that attacks us. But nowadays, like this war with ISIS, we really are not serious about winning it or defeating the enemy when it comes to an actual war. It is all "surgical strikes" and "air campaigns" and mostly politically motivated and/or operated.

[Minimalist]

What are we defending?

http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/

Estimated Investment
Needed by 2020:
$3.6Trillion

This is what we have allowed to happen while we are planting the flag all over the world.

[Secular Elf]

What are we defending?

http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/

Estimated Investment
Needed by 2020:
$3.6Trillion

This is what we have allowed to happen while we are planting the flag all over the world.

Thanks for the link to that report Min. Wow, the only bright spot on that report is a B- on solid waste. $3.6 Trillion to fix and upgrade everything. Man, we Americans have rally allowed our national infrastructure to go to pot! Depressing.

[Secular Elf]

Last night, on Real Time Bill Maher asked Ret. Col. Lawrence Wilkerson the following.  Wilkerson was Chief of Staff to Colin Powell when he was Sec. St.  Let him give his answer.

Love Bill Maher!

He has a good point. It is frustrating to see how all the countries in the Middle East send token forces and allow the U.S. to do most of the dirty work for them in their own backyard. And the Col.'s point about picking losers, yeah, that is what's really puzzling about our foreign policy in the Middle East.