Our conception fo "security" is totally perverted and debased.

what we see is the pro-war crowd refusing to even address this issue.

They won't even address it-- exactly.

and a lot of other special force units that are fully capable of getting in, doing the wet-work, and getting out.
We don't need the full weight of the US armed forces dealing with ISIL... in fact, we would have been better off using those forces without ISIL knowing there was military action against them. Now, that's no longer an option... which leaves working with the locals as the most effective way to deal with the situation... that and diplomacy.

However, that's a pretty big "if".

All I know is sending in special force units is by far more efficient and less expensive. Why the need for mass mobilization with equipment that literally consumes millions of dollars in gas a day?

We've become has-beens trying to recapture the Glory Days when we were winners.

when they think we won big and it brought prosperity to the US. (they have history all wrong)

The first is because we had put in the social work required to enable a middle class to exist in the first place. The second reason is because

Every other nation that could offer a modicum of legitimate market competition HAD BEEN BOMBED INTO OBLIVION AND IT TOOK THEM A GENERATION TO REBUILD IT.

Just sayin.

seem to ever get it in history class.

Tax the rich. Addam Smith was correct: The rich should be taxed at a very high rate.

You can also cite Addam Smith when arguing with a right winger.

I can't stress this enough. His Labor Theory of Value was expanded upon by both Proudhon and Marx!

Great post!

with you and with Robert Reich.

It's unanimous!

No one else seems to count anymore.

The same evil game continues, regardless.

the same shit you were voting against in the first place.

"the lesser of two evils" or as you say "I'm not very hungry today, could I have a little less shit on my plate please?" Basically the same thing but the second explains it much better. I usually explain it as both cars (parties) are driving towards the same cliff, one is going at 100 mph and the other is going at 50 mph, the rate may be slower but the end result is going to be the same.

We have to start putting America before party, and that applies to both parties.

I have a friend who is a fierce proponent of the LOTE strategy. He knows this strategy leads to collapse, but doesn't care - all he wants to do is buy himself some time, and he thinks voting Democratic will slow down the disaster just enough for him to cash in on his Social Security.

After he's gone, he doesn't care what happens. It goes without saying that he doesn't have children. I, however, do, and I want my children and grandchildren to have a better country to live in that I did. We won't get that by closing our eyes, holding our noses and electing corporate puppets just because they wear blue.

Ronald Reagan. Before his disastrous administration we as a nation focused more on long term planning. Corporations also switched their focus to short term gain instead of long term stability. Reagan certainly was the leader of the I have mine screw you attitude. Somehow we have to change that back, but I don't know why it is so hard to do, it seems so logical to think long term as a nation and as parents.

Okay, so they'll have money, but where will they live? The planet cannot sustain their greed.

And how can they not have a conscience at all? How can they treat fellow human beings as pawns in their race to be the richest and most powerful, in fact, to take over the world through globalization and corporate power trumping national govts?

So sad. And truly pathetic that the politics as a team sport players just cheer it all along. I don't understand why or how they do that either. Whatever their party leader does is more than fine with them. Unbelievable really. Especially because they think they are informed free thinkers.

It's the paradox of our "democracy".

... then just what is it the defense budget is defending?

Just typical doublespeak.

-- Mal

why can't another segment of the population demand that our taxes don't go toward war?

Or is he a libertarian racist? Not sure.

See, that didn't hurt, did it (you now have nothing)...ruthless theft, no?

It's rampant now, we're in a bit of a pickle. Maybe our best hope is that the right does take the Senate. maybe some of the things they pass will jolt enough confused people into seeing the light.

Thus, we freakin' get war funded. Not a mystery.