Another bloated, saurian spot of activism

[EL the Famous]

Fair enough. Just to be accurate, they played Beautiful Day and Where the Streets Have No Name. Streets was inspired in some part by classism in Belfast, but the intent of the song was more so describe 'a feeling of wanting to break out of the city and a feeling of wanting to go somewhere where the values of the city and the values of our society don

[anodyne]

Of course, "helping people" can be defined pretty broadly. Providing a national defense can be helpful. I'm not sure that means the government should also give everyone free ice cream and puppies.

if our country had to be defended, you could call our militarism defense. however, pre-emption is not defensive. we spend almost half of the world's military budget on our "defense" industry. we COULD eradicate poverty in america, but then we wouldn't be so "safe".

[ikol]

if our country had to be defended, you could call our militarism defense. however, pre-emption is not defensive. we spend almost half of the world's military budget on our "defense" industry. we COULD eradicate poverty in america, but then we wouldn't be so "safe".

 

I wasn't making any sort of argument about preemption or the Iraq War. I was just stating that national defense is a legitimate use of tax money.

[owl]

You're right, then. Grass is green!

[MattZ]

everyone else was wearing bracelets and so, omg, they were HELPING PEOPLE!

 

I hear you, and I sympathize, but whether it's wearing a bracelet or having a hospital pavilion or foundation named after you, people often give to charity so that they can shout to the whole world how they are helping people. Ten years after your college graduation you are probably going to get some booklet that separates out by donation level how much money different people have given to the school (it's the same at any charity function too). What's the point of that? The anonymous givers will be very few and very far between.

 

I guess my point here is that your criticism shouldn't be limited to bracelets (not that it was). You can just as easily buy a $500 ticket to a cancer foundation black tie benefit where the meal and open bar costs $350. But at least you got to chat up some other cool people who are HELPING PEOPLE too.

 

EDIT: sorry to get sidetracked -- this has nothing to do with the ONE/Bono discussion.

[anodyne]

to defend a land is legitimate. when was the last time the US had to defend on an incursion that wasn't intentionally precipitated by hawkish policy? better yet, when was the first time?

[ikol]

There was some sort of attack back in 2001. I don't see what arguing over whether particular military actions were right has to do with whether the government should try to end world poverty.

[anodyne]

so how well did that bloated military budget do for protecting from a criminal action?

[ikol]

About as well as a bloated foreign aid budget does for world poverty.