Is it time to end the War on Terror?

[Monte]

Hmm, the gov spent $750 billion on welfare alone, in FY 2011. So, in about a year and a half, that would pretty much dwarf costs associated with the war on terror, since it began in 2001. Add Obamacare and one year costs would surpass the cumulative total spent on the war on terror.
http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/...ending_40.html

spent roughly another $53 billion on foreign aid last year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_foreign_aid
That includes $1.5 billion to Morsi for Egypt, now THAT's smart money spent! We also send money to Japan (because they are such a poor nation and all).

[Monte]

If you won't be as generous as to buy a lottery ticket for me you might want to consider buying one for yourself Sprightly!

I don't know about the war on terror, but when it comes to the war on women, Byng, you always charge straight to the front lines, like a one-man army!

I'm not sure that's too healthy. If you ever need to talk about it, I want you to know that I'm there for you, buddy. Together, we can get you through this problem.

[Contumacious]

Incorrect.

The end point is to grab as much power as possible.

Condition the , already, zombified populace, to accept more encroachment by federal bureaucratic scumbags.

.

[Byng]

Doesn't it make you wonder why it is that the same usual suspects who don't want to see the U.S. spend another dime on defense are the same usual suspects are perfectly fine with sending foreign aid to 75% of all of the other countries?

You know better than that Monte, Foreign aid and Defence are pretty much the same thing and to separate them for the purpose of taking cheap political swipes, I would respectfully suggest, is disingenuous at best.

At the end of WWII, the United States on one side for the Western Bloc and the Soviet Union on the other side for the Eastern Bloc used foreign aid to win political-military-economic allies for each side. Also of course to benefit the interest of the military-industrial-complex of the United States and the Soviet Union.

Foreign aid is at the very least, influence buying, and at the other end of the scale intervention by the United States in shaping the policies of the aid recipient country. It is also the way that the United States (and others) maintain its defense industry and keep it thriving.

By providing Foreign aid, we get to buy influence and intervention without having to resort to an actual shooting war if your name is not Bush and Cheney of course who chose to take the real expensive route both in lives and treasure.

Foreign aid is nothing more, than a less expensive option of exerting influence by the United States on the aid countries financial, economic, trade, investment, labor, military and foreign policies, and has little or nothing to do with us being the good guys and generous to the rest of the world.

Uncle Sam does very little or gives very little that it does not consider to be in its own self interest to do and gets paid back ten-fold for its investment for the influence it buys.

[soulflower]

We've already invested trillions into creating new intelligence agencies since 9/11. Now the Pentagon wants to expand their intelligence operations:

DIA sending hundreds more spies overseas

The Pentagon will send hundreds of additional spies overseas as part of an ambitious plan to assemble an espionage network that rivals the CIA in size, U.S. officials said.

The project is aimed at transforming the Defense Intelligence Agency, which has been dominated for the past decade by the demands of two wars, into a spy service focused on emerging threats and more closely aligned with the CIA and elite military commando units.

When the expansion is complete, the DIA is expected to have as many as 1,600 “collectors” in positions around the world, an unprecedented total for an agency whose presence abroad numbered in the triple digits in recent years.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...y.html?hpid=z1

[Byng]

We've already invested trillions into creating new intelligence agencies since 9/11. Now the Pentagon wants to expand their intelligence operations:

This is good!

One of the reasons for this, is that clandestine HUMINT was being given far less importance than it should, because of the advancements in technology from electronic surveillance and interception and the fact that we often gave terrorists, including bin Laden and al Qaeda far more credit than they were due for being technologically advanced in their methods of operation in general and communications in particular.

Most terrorists are pretty low level technicians which is why I tend to chuckle about the threat of terrorist groups running around with Nuclear weapons stuck down their pants! State Actors might achieve it but most terrorist groups would not have a clue, even the more sophisticated ones.

HUMINT is still our best bet and in most cases will keep us a lot safer. We hear about more foiled terrorist attacks now than we hear of successful ones but more often than not we don't hear what led to the planned attacks being foiled if in fact we get to know of the foiled attack in the first place.

Many of these foiled attacks are a direct result of HUMINT as are the many successful drone attacks that are conducted. We rely heavily for our targeting on very brave human beings for whom there are no medals or recognition.

[Monte]

You know better than that Monte, Foreign aid and Defence are pretty much the same thing and to separate them for the purpose of taking cheap political swipes, I would respectfully suggest, is disingenuous at best.

At the end of WWII, the United States on one side for the Western Bloc and the Soviet Union on the other side for the Eastern Bloc used foreign aid to win political-military-economic allies for each side. Also of course to benefit the interest of the military-industrial-complex of the United States and the Soviet Union.

Foreign aid is at the very least, influence buying, and at the other end of the scale intervention by the United States in shaping the policies of the aid recipient country. It is also the way that the United States (and others) maintain its defense industry and keep it thriving.

By providing Foreign aid, we get to buy influence and intervention without having to resort to an actual shooting war if your name is not Bush and Cheney of course who chose to take the real expensive route both in lives and treasure.

Foreign aid is nothing more, than a less expensive option of exerting influence by the United States on the aid countries financial, economic, trade, investment, labor, military and foreign policies, and has little or nothing to do with us being the good guys and generous to the rest of the world.

Uncle Sam does very little or gives very little that it does not consider to be in its own self interest to do and gets paid back ten-fold for its investment for the influence it buys.

Again..........in case you and Soulflower have already forgotten, we were attacked. This was not Vietnam. I am grateful that Bush and not Obama was in office, but speaking of Obama...more lives were lost and money spent on wars during the Obama administration than Bush ever even thought of, in addition to Libya, so don't give me that Bush-warmonger crap.

I am aware of the diplomatic reasons and influence peddling motives of foreign aid. My point is that we're broke now and it's time to do a little housecleaning after sixty years.

[Byng]

Again..........in case you and Soulflower have already forgotten, we were attacked. This was not Vietnam. I am grateful that Bush and not Obama was in office, but speaking of Obama...more lives were lost and money spent on wars during the Obama administration than Bush ever even thought of, in addition to Libya, so don't give me that Bush-warmonger crap.

I am aware of the diplomatic reasons and influence peddling motives of foreign aid. My point is that we're broke now and it's time to do a little housecleaning after sixty years.

Now you are being really silly Monte and I know you can do better than that!

[Byng]

...............got to go now Monte and do important work like blowing, raking and bagging leaves! Just didn't want you to think I was running away from my alleged "War on Women"!