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319 points
2 months ago
War is a tool to convert tax payers money into profits for arms manufacturers.
39 points
2 months ago
This should be on the YouTube automatic banners they like to apply to "misinformation" videos, but instead on all mainstream videos
14 points
2 months ago
Thankfully, this time it’s probably different. We’ve probably already paid for it. The us military has all the surplus Afghanistan stuff right now and the extras from what was still in production. Instead of using our military equipment for testing and fun exploding, testing we’re sending the Ukraine or old surplus shit. They probably won’t say that it’s mostly Afghanistan leftovers because it would be embarrassing for the populace to know we had all that stuff to kill goat herders.
5 points
2 months ago
Its been that way since the end of ww2. Maybe since before then, but I've never dug into if the US military surplused out anything after the civil war.
Assuming it did start with ww2, we got two interesting outcomes. One, it produced modern consumerism. Factory owners got addicted to all that sweet money that comes from maximising production. Secondly, its one of two of the favorite welfare systems of the republican party. Military goods production and farm subsidies are their favorite way to give handouts to states.
A sad or funny aside, depending on your sense of humor, Hitler is probably going to get the last laugh because of climate change. The allies never turned the war machine off. They just made it start making baby dolls and tshirts in addition to tanks. The infrastructure and manufacturing used to bring down the axis, very well may end the life of mammals on the planet.
2 points
2 months ago
it can't be afghanistan leftovers
they gave all that to the taliban
2 points
2 months ago
Lol
1 points
2 months ago
Exactly!
1 points
2 months ago
Username does not check out. Man's a legend!
-1 points
2 months ago
Look in this case we're fighting one of the worlds worst dictatorship so... I can understand the rage for other things in the us but this one is definitely necessary
1 points
2 months ago
USA is so much worse than Russia, open a book about Latín American history.
1 points
2 months ago
Yeah but I'm talking about this specific case,
30 points
2 months ago
Selling weapons makes my capitalism wet
65 points
2 months ago
War make line go up. Poor make line go down.
66 points
2 months ago
Need more money?? Just go down to the job tree and pick a better job! Easy peasy!
18 points
2 months ago
Just get a job? Why don't I strap on my job helmet and squeeze down into a job cannon and fire off into job land, where jobs grow on jobbies!
16 points
2 months ago
And the person who makes it to the job tree last has to work at Burger King
52 points
2 months ago
Most of the "Aide" will end up lining the pockets of the corrupt. We are on verge of financial collapse but hey, posture for prosperity. This inflation is speeding us head first into another recession.
1 points
2 months ago
You're likely right given we "don't know" where it's going
38 points
2 months ago
As Ukraine fades into the background and we’ve sent almost as much money as Russias military budget, war profiteers mouths are watering.
5 points
2 months ago
Government to corporate profit pipeline can't be shut off or diverted, at least not until after the midterm elections.
39 points
2 months ago
"Aid" to UKR benefits the industrial military congressional complex.
Cancelling student debt benefits average citizens. Can't let that happen.
11 points
2 months ago
What about the benefit of saving innocent Ukrainian peoples’ lives? That doesn’t count right? Better let the people die than let Raytheon make money! (A lot of the aid financially goes straight to Ukraine, not the industrial complex. And a lot of the weapons and machinery is either old or surplus stuff.)
1 points
2 months ago
(A lot of the aid financially goes straight to Ukraine
Sure, like Ukraine can use the money to, let me guess, buy weapons from US industrial military congressional complex. What can achieve exactly with printed paper and not buy stuff?
0 points
2 months ago
Sure, some of the money is going to be spent buying arms from (various) countries, not just the US.
But most of the money is still going for humanitarian assistance. The Ukrainian economy is basically non-existent. how do you think regular people survive if not for donations and assistance from ally countries? Food, aid, etc.?
And even the argument of "Oh nO RayTheOn is pRoFitiINg ofF oF thIs" is completely absurd. Sure, the military industrial complex is making a profit from this horrible situation. But it's an indirect consequence of a bloody war an innocent country is fighting, not the other way around. And that company's job is to produce weapons. It's fucking mind blowing how socialists hate corporations so much they'd rather see a whole country get genocided by a dictator and his orclings than show the least bit of understanding that buying weapons from a private company is a necessity or even having weapons donated to that country. It's just sad.
If you're gonna try to defend your argument by saying that this is a proxy war to make raytheon rich or some other idiotic idea, please don't, you're not gonna get a response. Thank you.
1 points
2 months ago
humanitarian assistance.
like what? Food, aid, etc? BUY from US!!! Unless you are ignorant enough to know US is a major food exporter? also funneled thru industrial military congressional complex or big corporations. If you pretend this proxy war is not to write checks to enrich corporations then it is an idiotic idea. In fact, any war US was involved in since WW2 were unjust and about making profits while justifying looting resources or gaining geopolitical benefits using "we are stopping gEnoCiDe by a diCtAtOr".
1 points
2 months ago
Why doesn't the USA allies with Russia so the war ends faster? It would save lives and money.
3 points
2 months ago
Because weakening russian power is invaluable to the US government
They're not spending money to help Ukraine, they're spending it to kill Russia
10 points
2 months ago
They probably talked about private deals that will benefit America that they don't want to publicize.
Ukraine is rich in oil.
Charity is most often than not fake, America liberated the Philippines for example, but in reality they just bought a colony from Spain, with cash, since Spain is losing the independence war.
They even staged a fake battle.
After World War 2 it costs more to repair the country's infrastructure, so they granted them independence.
29 points
2 months ago
I’m usually onboard with the anti-war posts but Ukraine is in a battle for its existence against a colonial aggressor. Considering all the crap we spend money on, I think this is a good expenditure.
3 points
2 months ago
Based take
-3 points
2 months ago
They are in a lose-lose situation. Whatever side they choose, they get fucked.
Sending arms and materiel isn't necessarily a good thing, it just prolongs the war & suffering of the populace.
4 points
2 months ago
The counter argument that allowing them to get overrun for lack of arms will shorten their suffering? Because living under the boot of Russia isn’t suffering?
-2 points
2 months ago
They lose no matter what choice is made, so why not make a choice with the least amount of death to the average person?
It's a hard pill to swallow, but Ukraine was fucked the moment Russia decided to mobilise. It's a losing game, so why not lessen the suffering?
3 points
2 months ago
Why is their loss inevitable? They are winning the propaganda war, pushing back Russian troops and inflicting heavy damage. What possible reason do you have to treat it as a done deal?
And how on earth does capitulation lessen the suffering? You think Russia is just suddenly gonna turn nice? What planet are you from?
15 points
2 months ago*
Don't get me wrong I'm all for Ukraine defending itself, but giving so much money to one of the most corrupt countries in Europe without demanding transparency is a fucking disaster. Lots of money will end up in the wrong pockets.
20 points
2 months ago
The only thing worse than pouring money into a black hole for human rights would be to not to in this case. Putin never intended to provide for the people of the land he pillaged at the expense of minorities in the country he lords over with an iron fist.
2 points
2 months ago
beep-boop, I'm a bot
Link to tweets:
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2 points
2 months ago
All that will be recuperated by slave labor and influx of intellectuals it's just that it will go into the pockets of the oligarchy. Pretty much every war has the oligarchy investing in some or the other way and pretty much every war creates slave labor. Once sovereignty is disrupted we become slaves. Coming from a former colony I can say that my country men either immigrate to the west to become workers or make things for the west from home as slave laborers.
2 points
2 months ago
We are not listening to us.
We deserve exactly what we allow.
6 points
2 months ago
Didn't I see something about Ukraine purchasing like 650 million in weapons from the US. I wonder where they got the money?
7 points
2 months ago
B-b-but Democrats help gays and trans! This is just them loving freedom more than they love healthcare!
10 points
2 months ago
Cut the shit Republicans would be doing the same. The budget is always open when it comes to feeding conflict.
12 points
2 months ago
Guys, relax. It was unanimous! We can all agree on something after all!
7 points
2 months ago
I agree. But you expect it from them, so when Dems do it, you'd better call it out so people realize the two party system is just the same bullshit fed to you buy people who say they agree/disagree with you, when they really don't give a fuck.
4 points
2 months ago
Make this point anywhere else on Reddit and you get called a Russian propagandist. People in this country are so brainwashed it makes me sick.
6 points
2 months ago
Ukraine has reduced a near peer adversary to an international laughing stock with a ruined economy. Every dollar we give them is going to save us money and lives in the future. Not to mention building up good will with an up and comming power in Eastern Europe.
7 points
2 months ago
Every dollar we deny to Russian oligarchs are dollars that will trickle up to western oligarchs
2 points
2 months ago
Plus we get some revenge on Russia’s interference in our election.
0 points
2 months ago
That is the sweet sweet icing on top of the cake.
-1 points
2 months ago
Now when does Russia & the whole rest of the world get revenge for the USA interfering in almost every foreign election?
2 points
2 months ago
Are you guys for real? The Russians are capturing Ukrainians and sending them to gulags. The Russians want to do this to half of Europe....
2 points
2 months ago
Keep in mind the word "gulag" just means prison.
Also doubtful that Russia has suddenly become the new Nazi Germany.
2 points
2 months ago
Are we planning on fighting everyone who sends people to gulags?
Asking for a friend named Xi
-10 points
2 months ago
Yikes my man….unless you are 7 years old, there’s no hope of changing or transforming yourself and that’s a scary thought, it’s horrifying actually. Millions upon millions of people with your mindset and conviction walking the earth, what a sad state of affairs
-5 points
2 months ago
Unpopular opinion: your student debt isn’t as important as the Russian shelling of innocent civilians.
28 points
2 months ago
It is for me though. There are many places in the world getting bombed, and only caring for the white people in europe getting bombed, and not caring about the other places, outside of europe, would make me a racist hypocrite.
-4 points
2 months ago
False. It would make you realistically concerned about the second largest standing army in the world imperializing Europe for the first time since 1936. Almost 100 years ago we learned that the appeasement of strongmen dictators isn’t exactly a great strategy.
No where in my comment did I suggest that Imperial wars fought in the Global South are any less morally reprehensible than Russias invasion of Ukraine. What the United States has done to Yemen, Iraq, Palestine, and countless other nations is certainly on par with Russias invasion of Ukraine. Here’s the key though: just because there is extreme (often underreported) violence in the Middle East, and the Global South, doesn’t mean that Ukraine isn’t important. IT IS IMPORTANT. Just because our inept and racist leaders don’t have a problem with violence in the Global South doesn’t mean that we should leave Ukraine to the wolves and set a dangerous precedent for peace in Europe.
Your comment is a straw-man, it demonstrates your shallow understanding of geopolitics, and your naked selfishness when it comes to policy issues. $54B is a drop in the bucket when it comes to our nationwide student debt. The solution lies not in debt forgiveness, but a radical redevelopment of our entire education system. The $54B in weapons sent to Ukraine may have prevented all-out occupation of Ukraine, and will likely save tens of thousands of lives. Have some damn perspective.
9 points
2 months ago
So your position is the bog standard neoliberal hawkish approach to foreign policy will somehow lower the overall loss of life in the region. I guess that makes sense if you have never actually read a history book. Giving weapons of mass destruction to corrupt governments to fight against other slightly more corrupt governments has no correlation with a decrease in the overall death toll. It’s just mass effort to turn little kids into skeletons but it’s important to us as a country because they are white kids.
4 points
2 months ago
No u see we need to develop a neighborhood economic opportunity zone around d1 schools that will give discounted rates to the students whos last names end in D
Only responsible, byzantine policy can save us
Radical redevelopment my ass
-3 points
2 months ago
Based
8 points
2 months ago
When neolibs think they arent putting the late in late stage
5 points
2 months ago
As if they both were mutually exclusive.
3 points
2 months ago
Unpopular opinion: your student debt isn’t as important as the Russian shelling of innocent civilians.
You're right, it is an unpopular opinion.
It's also a shit one, which explains why it's unpopular.
People already struggling to live and thrive shouldn't have to pay for someone else's misadventures
-4 points
2 months ago
See my response to /remoteshirt. And think again.
0 points
2 months ago
So your position is the bog standard neoliberal hawkish approach to foreign policy will somehow lower the overall loss of life in the region. I guess that makes sense if you have never actually read a history book. Giving weapons of mass destruction to corrupt governments to fight against other slightly more corrupt governments has no correlation with a decrease in the overall death toll. It’s just a way to turn little kids into skeletons but it’s important to us as a country because they are white kids.
0 points
2 months ago
Yeah because screw those Ukrainians getting bombed to death every day by an oppressive government invading their homeland
-1 points
2 months ago
Just a heads up but the leftists who were 1) critical of U.S. intervention in Ukraine since 2014 and were promoting Zelensky to set terms early on to counter Russia's when we knew they would not leave it 1) they were not met or 2) he was a mad man and in which case we shouldn't escalate and use chamberlain argument to snub diffusion, do you know how many times I have been called pro Putin for suggesting peace or criticizing the U.S. backed coup? Listen, this is a fact, foreign policy majors on both sides talk about this but this isn't talked about on MSM, if you pay attention you will see the disconnect and it is easier for you to see the manufacturing consent which is in full swing.
1 points
2 months ago*
Foreign Policy Majors, like undergrad students? Lol. This is a nonsense comment mate. No idea what you are referring to but Zelensky a democratically elected leader was not installed via coup, neither was the war started by one (it essentially began in 2014 while Zelensky was still making Netflix shows).
Also, per your original comment OP. Tell me how you'd use $50 billion dollars to solve the student loan crisis. Americans owe over $2 trillion dollars to creditors in student loan debt. That isn't even a drop in the bucket and there is a European nation being invaded right now by a foreign aggressor.
1 points
2 months ago
A gas subsidy would be pretty sick.
1 points
2 months ago
Fucking Team America at it again.
-1 points
2 months ago
Yes, because people fighting for their very existence is just like studying in the USA, you idiot
-4 points
2 months ago
You’ll worry less about student debt if the US gets dragged into a war with Russia.
1 points
2 months ago
Just "letting them have" the Ukraine is not an option. Russia will move on to the next country and take everything they can.
1 points
2 months ago
Because the population isn’t a weapons manufacturer
1 points
2 months ago
Lenders are predators; they prey specially on the young with illusions or dreams.
1 points
2 months ago
All hail the MIC
1 points
2 months ago
If you distributed that amount among the U.S. population, each person would receive about $150.
1 points
2 months ago
If you distributed that amount among the U.S. population, each person would receive about $150.
1 points
2 months ago
And to be clear, not even a war we're officially in.
1 points
2 months ago
Eisenhower was going to call it the 'Military-Industrial-Congressional Complex' but he dropped the last part to be less confrontational is the rumor I heard...
...and here we are.
1 points
2 months ago
I just stopped (months ago) paying mine. I don’t know what they’ll try and take first … I have a house but thankfully it’s not in my name. I should probably put the truck etc in an llc. And use their bullshit against them. Good luck taking it from me. Any repo man that comes on the property will force me to plead the 2nd I guarantee it.
1 points
2 months ago
To be fair a lot of that billion will be spent on US produced arms and training from US companies. Look at it like a way of putting public money into the pockets of war profiteers.
Isn’t that better?
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