LAist: "I'm a little mixed up between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Which ones are throwing the rocks?"

SMITYLON JIMMYTRON

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:15:05 -0800

I thin i know what you mean by welfare angle, i have read about army etc. ordering shit they KNOW they don't need b/c it is pork barrel spending etc. however do you think the info is that hard to get with the internet widely available? i think for anyone with some curiosity there are answers out there.... however w/ out mass media support is that enough......

ted

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 14:50:47 -0800

Yeah, comparing it by % of GDP does make sense when doing comparisons between individual countries. At the same time, you'd also probably want to look at other % of GDP such as Health, Education, etc. It seems to be that a ton of this stuff is basically just welfare for massive defense companies. What we really need is a more open democracy where people can actually look at where their money is going and why. Right now the system seems so corrupt, we laugh about $900 toilets but that's small potatoes.

SMITHYTON JINGINGBON

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 16:05:05 -0800

also i wonder if we are better off comparing everything as % of GDP..... lies, damn lies, and statistics and all that.....

JIMMY KINSINGTON

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 16:00:38 -0800

yea the issue of discretionary spending is huge. i was talking about just the base level budgets, but your measure probably makes more sense, realistically. i wonder if the rest of the world's spending would increase if one took into account similar spending practices?

ted

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 15:17:40 -0800

Just to put it in perspective, the rest of the world spent approximately $450bn on military spending in 2005. The United States, when 'discretionary' spending, war fighting, and special appropriations are taken into account, spent roughly $900bn. The education budget is $55bn. Health is $45bn. Even if the US scaled down to only matching the $450bn of the rest of the world combined, and cut taxes massively, there would be room to double or triple the Health and Education budgets. It's sick.

ted

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 15:14:37 -0800

Wrong-- the statistics you quote are for "regular" US Military spending. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are not included in those totals. Those amounts push the United States into a realm where the amounts being spent above 50% of the total world military spending would still be able to fund education, health care, and other reforms/expenditures.

TITHY BIFFINGTON

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 14:43:20 -0800

The U.S.'s military budget is approximately 43% fo the world's total, as of the year 2005. Around 2002, it was around 47%. Thus, the "rest of the world per year combined" would be 57% (in 2005) of all military spending. Thus, the U.S. military is already spending LESS than "all the rest of the world per year combined," and thus your statement is false. I'm not making any statements about the proper size of the U.S. military budget, I am just showing that your assertion is incorrect.

ted

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 12:34:32 -0800

It's sad-- even if the United States reduced its military spending to just all the rest of the world per year combined, we'd have enough money to have the greatest schools, healthcare, and free higher education for all. Instead we get idiots and racists who help perpetuate the massive tax fraud known as the US military. Remember that they like it that our people are ignorant. If we had even 20% smarter people, they'd vote both parties out of office and reduce the military to its actual needs and not its sick desires.

SMITHY JIMINGSMITHTON

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 10:15:04 -0800

HMMM OK 1. you should have said "this year" then, idiot. (how does pointing out your error make me racist? lol). 2. lots of other LA blogs DON'T throw in any story they feel like talking about, and are better for it. 3. Also, PEGGY ARCHER, per pupil inflation adjusted spending on education in the federal budget is UP in the last 30 years. but i would hate for "facts" to get in the way of your awesome theories!

Peggy Archer

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 08:00:29 -0800

Wow - the initial vid is depressing, and the angry all-cap commenter just cements it. This is what happens when you gut the educational system and put all your money into a 30 year-long military buildup.

tony

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 00:23:10 -0800

.. first black candidate this year, racist. and yes, LAist will cover anything that impacts LA. you know, like our local newspapers do, like our local tv news broadcasts do, like how our local radio stations do. by the way, being wrong about everything explains why you use fake names. id be ashamed too.

JIMMY KIDRINSON MCSMITHY

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 23:37:36 -0800

seriously? so ANYTHING that has an anything to do with the US is OK for a blog about LA? just throw it in? why even call this site LAist? cool. well then anything that happens in the known universe can go on the LA blog because LA is part of the known universe. YOU'RE AN IDIOT AND YOU'RE RUNNING THIS SITE INTO THE GROUND also Obama not the first black presidential candidate, GENIUS TONY MCGENIUS

tony

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 23:08:59 -0800

1. the first black presidential candidate does have something to do with LA as long as LA remains part of the united states, genius 2. can people who leave comments IN ALL CAPS accuse others of flipping out? fascinating.

Osc

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 23:08:38 -0800

This is why we have the monkey as president. Thanks for posting this, Tony. Sad and depressing, but hilarious.

SMITHY JIMINGTON

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 22:50:37 -0800

also this is just a reminder that your response to the guy who critiqued your biden-obama quote posting exemplifies why you are such a terrible person. 1, the original post has nothing to do with LA, and 2, even if it did, you flip out on some guy who is just trying to open the debate. TONY U R THE KEWLEST

JIMMY SMITHINGTON

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 22:48:20 -0800

yea i'm sure THAT's why you posted it, idiot. you are terrible at running a web site. why don't you check out blogdowntown or curbed LA to see what a blog that is actually focused on an idea/location looks like. you are a complete idiot

tony

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 21:48:09 -0800

dude more than half of those idiots they interviewed were either on venice beach or mann's chinese. or are you upset that you were one of them?

JIMMY SMITHINGTON

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 20:53:13 -0800

COOL THANKS FOR MORE AWESOME ZINGS ON THE U.S. YET ANOTHER GREAT POSTING ABOUT THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. WAY TO STAY ON TOPIC ONCE AGAIN AND MAKE THIS A USEFUL AND COOL BLOG TONY YOU ARE A GENIUS