HARMONIC'S PROFILE

Chicken Little himself is reading this thread hoping everyone here just takes a chill pill.

author=slash
military spending!

Why the hell do we need to increase military spending? We don't need more war-power and I'd rather not just have it sitting around. We don't need to make more nuclear weapons - we have more than will ever be usable. We already spend a ton of money making way too many outdated tanks - so many that higher-ups in the military are even saying it's a waste of our spending and so many that we're buying more storage facilities so the tanks can sit there and do nothing (or occasionally selling them overseas at a loss). We have the world's most powerful, all-encompassing Navy. If we want to change our military strategy, we should be redirecting our current funding from this traditional (outdated) hardware to research new technology, new reconnaissance, etc.

A lot of the reason we're spending money on the military is because it keeps jobs around - military manufacturers don't want to go out of business. I would argue, though, that we'd be better off spending that money on national infrastructure. We could use that money we've been spending on the military to build new roads and bridges, repair our existing highways, repair schools and public buildings, etc. This would not only create or keep a bunch of jobs, but also provide way more immediate and noticeable benefit to our citizens.

It is really a relief to see a focus on something else, I gotta say. And I agree with all this and note that Trump has objectively stated a far less hawkish foreign policy direction than Clinton had in the works. That's one of his biggest selling points for issue-focused people. Less saber-rattling on Russia and Syria. A lot of people are relieved that a working relationship with Russia is now possible.

But yes the military bureaucracy is bloated and cancerous. We can defend ourselves very well with far less money. It needs a total overhaul. We don't need a no-bid license to fund unproven weapons systems like the F35 when we already have a superior, albeit less flexible fighter in the F22. We probably don't need a great deal of land-based weaponry, but based on our current military responsibilities, a pervasive naval air force is still vital. Speak softly, carry big stick.

This is from someone who was vehemently opposed to the 2003 Iraq invasion from the very beginning and highly disappointed that Obama did not curtail the hawkish foreign policy direction of the US. I don't know if Trump will, but we can hope.

author=Feldschlacht IV
So you don't think there's ANY reason behind the sentiment that Trump has empowered racist groups and has done little (if anything, he took advantage of them) to quell it?

You definitely have your head in the sand if you believe that.

Maybe we just feel that there is a large difference in what is necessary. He has publicly denounced and disavowed David Duke and the KKK several times. What would you like him to do?

author=Kaempfer
Is your argument against the idea that Trump wants to deport people based solely on their race/religion or that Trump is a racist?

The former. I mean I'm not best buddies with Donald Trump so I don't know about the latter. But in terms of his actions, and his campaign promises, they have indicated that racism is a far-fetched accusation. Boy who cried wolf phenomenon there I think.

author=slash
caters to white supremacists

Establishment Republicans have been pro-amnesty and the free movement of people for a long time. It's the whole cheap labor thing.

Trump has outright denounced and disowned David Duke and the KKK. Dude isn't a white supremacist and probably won't cater to them.