Comments on: Why is America is the greatest country on Earth?

By: feralboy12

feralboy12 — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 02:42:58 +0000

It makes sense for a super power to spend more than anybody else, I grant you that. I don’t think you disagree, but at what point does insane become batshit crazy?

I would say roughly 1965.

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 19:16:32 +0000

Larry, no big deal.

By: richardrob

richardrob — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:39:54 +0000

All that work in excel, then waiting for moderation, and the google spreadsheet link fails me. NNNYYYYYUUUURRRRRBBBBB!

By: Larry Lipit0r

Larry Lipit0r — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 02:56:22 +0000

Sorry Greg and to all; I very much regret mis-speaking on this subject. I didn’t intend to at the time, and it didn’t come out very well.

By: Rich Wilson

Rich Wilson — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 01:37:02 +0000

@Mingr my self correction didn’t make it past the spam-filter, it’s actually the next 17 countries, according to wikipedia (the link to which probably triggered the spam bit, so I’ll let you find it if you want).

Given that, I think we passed batshit crazy without collecting $200 a long time ago.

By: murti

murti — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 01:22:03 +0000

evet bende katÄ±lÄ±yorum

By: Jason Thibeault

Jason Thibeault — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 21:46:07 +0000

Consigned to the spam bucket due to blatant self-pimping. Sigh. I was posting something relevant, too. (For once.) 🙂

For the record, til Greg unlocks my post, you’d do well to research Brian Day and his efforts to bring America-style health care to Canada. He’s got a vested interest, being the owner of the largest for-profit hospital in the nation.

By: itzac

itzac — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 20:57:29 +0000

That is, next TWO competitors.

By: itzac

itzac — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 20:44:28 +0000

Mingr, Dan Carlin addressed your very question one a recent “Common Sense” podcast. He cited the Royal Navy of Imperial Britain which spent as much as its next competitors combined. It’s an arbitrary value, but at any rate, it’s hard to argue the US is not long past the point of diminishing returns.

By: Mingr

Mingr — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 20:30:20 +0000

Rich

Lets say those figures are correct: if you do spend as much as the next 13 countries, most of whom are allies, that’s pretty screwed up. I believe there are various definitions of what constitutes military spending: low figures take the DoD number, whereas higher figures include a sizable part of NASA, National Guard, Coast Guard, the vast security establishment, pension and health spending for past service, etc., etc.. The objective reality is that the US economy is highly dependent on defense spending, wars, ‘toys for the boys’ and so on, and it continues to grow, year on year.

It makes sense for a super power to spend more than anybody else, I grant you that. I don’t think you disagree, but at what point does insane become batshit crazy?