[Konservir]

Here's the issue with the military budget. Most of it is about jobs, not defense. If we slash the military budget we take away good jobs from millions of people, whether they are making bullets or making fenders for a vehicle that will never see battle. Also, because it is military related, we keep the jobs in this country; there's no off-shoring our security issues. So, when Congress critters keep failed weapons systems in the military budget, its because of the civilian jobs, not the Nation's security.

The biggest infrastructure project in the US in the 20th century was probably the Interstate Highway System. Ever notice its real name? "Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways." The decision to build this system gained approval because of its defense capabilities. It was seen as a defense project, not a commerce project. Standards for design were included to ensure the highway could be bombed and still be useful. There are no single-bridge sections on the Interstate, regardless of the traffic counts.

I mention this because this is a way to deflect military money to infrastructure projects and not cause severe economic disruption.

(The Space Program is another program that deflected military spending.)

I'll admit I did make a thread on weather it was possible to waste money on the military for just that reason since a lot of it stays at home. I valid argument for keeping the budget high but jobs can be created elsewhere and education is more important.

I think a military argument could be made to embark on a Manhatten project to develop solar panels capable of powering every home and building i America and a hydrogen based fuel capable of running combustion vehicles so that no home or car would ever need oil again (except for lubrication).

Is it wise to defeat the U.S. economically? How much of the rest of the world's economic activity depends on a moderately healthy U.S. economy?

We import $1,900,000,000,000.00 worth of goods a year. That's 12.9% of all the goods traded in the world. How long would the disruption of that economic factor impact the world economy? We export 12.7 % of all the goods traded in the world, again how long for that economic disruption to get absorbed?

Defeating the U.S. economically might be cutting off ones nose to spite ones face.

A good argument as well but Iran and China want to do away with the dollar as an oil trading currency which would adversely affect you. I'm sure they'd glady take you down even if it meant harder times for them economically.

speaking as a Canadian , America's largest trading partner , we all wish for a strong , healthy American economy , which is why it is definitely concerning the route your country has taken politically of late .

Ditto. That's the whole reason I'm on here...to steer you guys in the right direction since I have as much to loose as you do.

I was just going to ask if anyone wanted to tell Danny that if the US economy so much as sneezes, Canada's economy falls over and dies.

See above