On Aug 2, 9:05 am, "Pete C." > wrote:
> Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
>
> > On Aug 1, 9:34 pm, "Pete C." > wrote:
> > > Stan Horwitz wrote:
>
> > > > In article >, "Pete C." >
> > > > wrote:
>
> > > > > jmcquown wrote:
>
> > > > > > I just heard about the I-35 West bridge between Minneapolis and St. Paul
> > > > > > collapsing, sending cars plunging into the Mississippi River. Please check
> > > > > > in and let us know you're okay!
>
> > > > > > Jill
>
> > > > > Looks pretty bad, not just one section falling, the whole damn thing
> > > > > came down. Already three confirmed fatalities and I don't think they
> > > > > even have any info back from divers yet.
>
> > > > Large parts of the infrastructure here in the states are poorly
> > > > maintained, yet billions of dollars are sent to Iraq. Insane! I am truly
> > > > sorry for the families who lost people in that bridge collapse.
>
> > > The billions sent to Iraq are a drop in the bucket
>
> > EXCUSE ME!?!? Just "a drop in the bucket"????
>
> Compare a few hundred billion to the many trillions of the national
> budget. Iraq is a drop in the bucket, don't let the "billion" fool you,
> relative to the total national budget, Iraq is the equivalent of your
> morning coffee budget.
>
>
>
> > > and while not being particularly well spent are at least being thrown in the
> > > direction of a very real threat.
>
> > Are you one of those folks who believe that Saddam Hussein was
> > involved in the 9-11 attacks, perhaps even after the Liar-in-Chief
> > admitted he was not?
>
> No, I'm one of the folks who knows the real story with the WMDs from
> someone who was in Iraq on the UNSCOM team and saw them first hand.
>
There are other ways to get results than invasion.
>
> > > A good chunk of our tax dollars are being wasted on
> > > well intentioned but counterproductive "humanitarian aid".
>
> > Funny Uncle Sam gives candy to little countries because he wants
> > what's in their little panties.*
>
> That's not what I was referring to. I was referring to the feel good
> humanitarian aid given to countries that have nothing we want, and only
> server to exacerbate the problems in those countries.
>
But what I mean is that even that is not done altruistically. It's no
accident that our policies "exacerbate the problems in those
countries."
>
> > > The largest portion of our tax dollars however are being
> > > wasted right here in the US.
>
> > OK, here's a challenge. Tell us EXACTLY WHAT that "largest portion of
> > our tax dollars" "are being wasted" on "right here in the US."
>
> Little things like the "war on drugs" which also includes a lot of
> foreign spending and by all objective assessments accomplishes next to
> nothing. Various superstition... er... "faith" based programs. Pet pork
> projects. Etc.

The issues with the War on Drugs are several, and cost a fortune in
lost productivity as well as prison/law enforcement costs.
The "superstition" programs don't cost that much in the whole scheme
of things. It's more the theocratic camel's nose under the tent of
the US Treasury.
Even the "pork," is not all just a bunch of wasted money. There are
worthy uses, such as replacing crumbling infrastructure. As NPR said
yesterday, unfortunately it is sexier to build a new bridge than to
spend the money on maintaining an old one. Federal spending also
results in the multiplier effect on local economies. I'm not
defending "bridges to nowhere," and do recognize there's waste, but
this Iraq thing seems like it has accomplished one thing, transferring
tax dollars into the hands of the mercenary companies, and in those I
include support and construction contractors.

--Bryan