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Europe under extreme duress

WhiskeySierra6

Well-Known Member
pilot
Actually, helping ensure that the civil society in Ukraine keeps running during the war is in our national security interest, as it helps them to keep flighting off the Russian invasion of their country and prevents them from expanding the war to other countries.
Maybe as a third or fourth order effect. If we are serious about them winning the war (whatever that objectively means) and not involving Russia in a never ending quagmire, then we should have given them more capability faster. We've rolled out HIMARS, ATACMS, Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles, Bradleys, Abrams, and now Vipers as we blew past multiple "red lines".

On the other hand, ensuring that our domestic civil society keeps running directly impacts our national security interests and there are plenty of vulnerabilities that could be mitigated with that money here at home. Just one man's opinion.
 

WhiskeySierra6

Well-Known Member
pilot
Like poverty?
I was thinking we could start with a couple tangible things like border security, critical infrastructure decay, industrial base revitalization (ships would be a good place to start), and cybersecurity. Once we have those licked, we can move on to the wicked problems like poverty, hunger, and parity in the NFL.

Edit: I've been on a DAU kick recently so apologies for the buzzword salad.
 

sevenhelmet

Low calorie attack from the Heartland
pilot
On the other hand, ensuring that our domestic civil society keeps running directly impacts our national security interests and there are plenty of vulnerabilities that could be mitigated with that money here at home. Just one man's opinion.

Sounds great, but knowing our government, if they had the opportunity to do that, they still wouldn't.
 

number9

Well-Known Member
Contributor
On the other hand, ensuring that our domestic civil society keeps running directly impacts our national security interests and there are plenty of vulnerabilities that could be mitigated with that money here at home. Just one man's opinion.
It's not zero-sum. The federal government has enough money to do both, it just may not have the political will to do both.
 

Mirage

Well-Known Member
pilot
It's not zero-sum. The federal government has enough money to do both, it just may not have the political will to do both.
Last time I checked, we have an incredible amount of debt that requires us to spend more on interest than defense, and absolute best case scenario is that it *only* doubles in the next decade. But sure, let's just keep thinking we have plenty of money for every wish list item and keep adding all kinds of new things to our budget without even discussing what we're going to cut.
 
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WhiskeySierra6

Well-Known Member
pilot
It's not zero-sum. The federal government has enough money to do both, it just may not have the political will to do both.
Not really. It has the ability to print more money. If you add in "stop printing more money" then it becomes zero sum.

Sounds great, but knowing our government, if they had the opportunity to do that, they still wouldn't.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. I'm going to keep pointing it out when they have the opportunity and choose to do something else. Metaphorically speaking. I not naive enough to believe anyone that could move the needle is listening.
 

Brett327

Well-Known Member
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I was thinking we could start with a couple tangible things like border security, critical infrastructure decay, industrial base revitalization (ships would be a good place to start), and cybersecurity. Once we have those licked, we can move on to the wicked problems like poverty, hunger, and parity in the NFL.

Edit: I've been on a DAU kick recently so apologies for the buzzword salad.
What do you think of the proposition that the resources we've put into Ukraine's military brings high return on investment WRT the significant effect it has had on the military capacity of NATO's primary threat? In terms of costs imposed on Russia vs risk to US and NATO, the conventional wisdom is that it's money well spent. Thoughts?
 
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