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[-] insomniac_lemon@kbin.social 118 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

People will point out that US health does get a decent chunk of money, though they'll leave out that it goes to others (insurance profit) so the care part doesn't actually get that value. Like how US spends more just in tax per-capita than many countries with universal care spend total, but we get significantly less for it.

So really it should mirror the war table but with a fat CEO or two smoking a cigar, with the emaciated doctor excluded from the table.

[-] Chariotwheel@kbin.social 90 points 11 months ago

Hey, now. Sciences gets a little bit on their dish when it makes something for war.

[-] kryptonianCodeMonkey@lemmy.world 16 points 11 months ago

It's a sausage, shaped like an A-bomb

[-] modifier@lemmy.ca 15 points 11 months ago

Science is in the kitchen, redoing the duck confit for the third fucking time.

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[-] uis@lemmy.world 31 points 11 months ago

Context: this is translated image from soviet magazine issued in 1953, right after Stalin's death.

Also Sciences table is Libraries table.

[-] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 5 points 11 months ago

Valid criticism, even though Soviet Union fell victim to the very same thing later on

[-] Rhoeri@lemmy.world 28 points 11 months ago

This just proves we are not getting smarter as time goes on.

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[-] Son_of_dad@lemmy.world 22 points 11 months ago

Metal Gear solid is what really opened my eyes to a global economy being supported by war. I know war and conflict is to an extent, part of being human. But it's been monetized and it's become too big to fail.

[-] crackajack@reddthat.com 10 points 11 months ago

The military industrial complex has become too big to fail, because it is jobs provider for many places that don't have much resources. It's not a coincidence that many defense contractors are headquartered in peripheral regions like the American South West desert and Scotland. These places don't have much to offer in terms of resources so they became dependent on the industry. Either that, or they become tax haven like other small entities like Ireland, Luxembourg and Seychelles.

I'm not trying to justify the existence of MICs by the way, I'm explaining why the industry became intertwined. Although, I believe there is just war if a country is either provoked or to stop atrocities, such as the NATO intervention in Yugslav wars and supporting Ukraine against the Russian invasion.

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[-] doctorcrimson@lemmy.today 21 points 11 months ago

Clearly 830Bn budget for Military every single year is too goddamn much, but at the same time I'm all for supporting NATO and opposing Russia. I think slowly reducing the military budget of the USA would be good, but keeping active operations overseas alive. As much as I realize the USA has caused more harm than good, I also realize suddenly ending our operations can be just as harmful, such as when the Trump Admin released 5k Taliban Fighters and withdrew from Afghanistan, to which the Biden Administration followed through with.

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[-] benjihm@lemmy.world 21 points 11 months ago
[-] sagrotan@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

And there are no "sides", every one loses, even and especially the ones who think they win money, power or land will lose in the end. When will they finally get it that we all live on this insignificant pebble in dark cold space and we have to grow up instead of fighting like spoiled toddlers in a sandbox.

[-] Cloral@lemmy.world 20 points 11 months ago

This cartoon is from 70 years ago. 80 years ago was 1943 which was in the middle of World War 2. At that point, war getting a sizable chunk of the GDP was perhaps more understandable. So the caption on the cartoon actually undersells it.

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[-] Cringe2793@lemmy.world 17 points 11 months ago

That's because the people who are in charge haven't changed much. Sure, their names have changed, but they're largely the same type of person who do the same types of things.

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[-] Buffalobuffalo@reddthat.com 12 points 11 months ago

This is longer true. Social security, Medicare, and medicaid are all less than 80 years old and make up more of the federal budget than defense spending.

These are the top 5 budget item according to the us treasury for 2022. Social security 23% Heath 15% National defense 13% Medicare 13% Income security 13%

“Veterans benefits and services” is another category which I guess could be considered war spending or healthcare.

[-] Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 27 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Social security is paying back what people have put into it, nobody alive today is collecting from it without having paid in to it their entire working life. It seems misleading to call this an expenditure in the sense that military spending is.

There is also a distinct difference between healthcare spending and healthcare being received. The US spends a lot on “healthcare” that is actually insane insurance profiteering or useless administrative costs. There’s a reason the US has the highest expenditure per person in the world, but the worst health outcomes among any industrialized nation (and worse than some developing nations if you’re a minority).

[-] Empricorn@feddit.nl 6 points 11 months ago

Preach! "Medicare-For-All", Single-Payer, whatever you want to call it, we need universal healthcare! It's literally better and cheaper.

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[-] MisterNeon@lemmy.world 10 points 11 months ago

History doesn't repeat, it plagiarizes.

[-] deegeese@sopuli.xyz 14 points 11 months ago

History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.

[-] JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 9 points 11 months ago
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[-] hoerbinator@lemmy.ml 7 points 11 months ago

Well kinda depends on the country. Switzerland spends 2 bilion for the military but 8 bilion for education and 35 bilion for health care. I am sure, the balance looks pretty similar or even more extrem in the northic european country

[-] greenmarty@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Every time there's a war somewhere, i get reminded that "humanize" are a lot like chimps. They are so clever, nice to each other, only until things goes to sh*t unexpectedly. That's when hell explodes, everything is "allowed" Faces get ripped off, fingers bitten off ect.

I still don't get why humans need wars are each period of peace. As if having too much good things got boring .

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[-] Spzi@lemm.ee 4 points 11 months ago

That's just game theory.

[-] Smk@lemmy.ca 4 points 11 months ago

What's the point of science or healthcare if your neighbors comes in and kill you all ?

[-] Malfeasant@lemm.ee 4 points 11 months ago
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[-] Cookiesandcreamclouds@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

Well, time to go into IT. There will always be jobs there.

[-] JewGoblin@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago
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this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2023
1432 points (97.7% liked)

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