[NeedKarma]

A more careful analysis would show that the military has done some tremendous trimming of it's budget over the last 20 years .

It's still the biggest use of tax payers dollar by a long shot:
List of countries by military expenditures - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
No country comes close to spending what the US spends.

[paraclete]

It's still the biggest use of tax payers dollar by a long shot:
List of countries by military expenditures - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
No country comes close to spending what the US spends.

Yes it is only the paranoid countries that makes high expenditures. But I can understand the US paranoia after all they have actually been attacked a couple of times but the losses on their own soil have been realitivily small if you leave the Civil War out of the statistics. The US military could afford to lose a few aircraft carriers etc without limiting their capability after all they are not fighting the rest of the world, or are they?

[speechlesstx]

It's still the biggest use of tax payers dollar by a long shot:
List of countries by military expenditures - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
No country comes close to spending what the US spends.

Perhaps we could spend less on defense, but defense is a necessity, Planned Parenthood is not.

[cdad]

It's still the biggest use of tax payers dollar by a long shot:
List of countries by military expenditures - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
No country comes close to spending what the US spends.

And from that list how many are first responders to disaster around the world? There is a reason for the so called high budget. Every time disaster strikes its ugly head other countries look to the United States for help of some kind or another. Also having 2 oceans and 4 boarders to defend is no easy task.

[speechlesstx]

Yes it is only the paranoid countries that makes high expenditures.

Paranoid? Um, the Norks are paranoid, I just believe freedom is worth the sacrifice.

[excon]

defense is a necessity, Planned Parenthood is not.

Hello again, Steve:

The Preamble to the Constitution says this:

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

It DOESN'T say that one of those things is more important than another, and it isn't.

excon

[cdad]

Hello again, Steve:

The Preamble to the Constitution says this:

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

It DOESN'T say that one of those things is more important than another, and it isn't.

excon

I still say the 2nd amendment is the one that protects all the others. ;)

[speechlesstx]

Hello again, Steve:

The Preamble to the Constitution says this:

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

It DOESN'T say that one of those things is more important than another, and it isn't.

And which part of that specifies taxpayer dollars for Planned Parenthood?

[NeedKarma]

And which part of that specifies taxpayer dollars for Planned Parenthood?

Which part specifies the building of nuclear weapon silos?

[cdad]

Which part specifies the building of nuclear weapon silos?

That would be the common defense clause Ex spoke about.

[NeedKarma]

That would be the common defense clause Ex spoke about.

It says nothing about missile silos at all.

[excon]

And which part of that specifies taxpayer dollars for Planned Parenthood?

Hello again, Steve:

The part right after, "provide for the common defense....." What do YOU think that part means?

excon

[tomder55]

NK clearly your desire for the US to scale it's defense forces down to the lame level that Canada budgets is of no interest to me. Canada cannot defend islands in the Arctic against Denmark .

[NeedKarma]

Canada cannot defend islands in the Arctic against Denmark .

Yea, that was quite a nasty war wasn't it? LOL!
In case any are curious this is what tom is referring to: Hans Island - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Oddly enough a lot of the disputes relate to new territory caused by melting glaciers due to global warming.

[speechlesstx]

Hello again, Steve:

The part right after, "provide for the common defense....." What do YOU think that part means?

Taking MY hard earned dollars to fund abortion, a practice that goes against everything I believe in, does not promote the general welfare. It just kills babies, which is counter to everything this country is about.

[NeedKarma]

As opposed to killing brown-skinned people? That seems OK for you.

[excon]

Taking MY hard earned dollars to fund abortion,

Hello again, Steve:

I don't get to choose which wars my tax dollars support, so I don't know why you think you should have that privilege... Nonetheless, you DO in the form of the Hyde Amendment..

Now, you can choose to BELIEVE Planned Parenthood is cheating, because of what some people have written about them, and you do...

I, however, choose to believe the fact that IF they ARE cheating, they'd have been found out long before now - and NOT by your rightwing writers, but by the COPS and the COURTS, and the CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES...

Somehow, the flat out violation of the law by Planned Parenthood has been, IGNORED by law enforcement authorities, right wing lawyers, and your congressmen... THAT, to me, is much more telling about the true status of Planned Parenthood, than anything your winger writers and that kid who traps people have to say.

So, I don't believe your tax dollars ARE used to fund abortion.

Beyond that, there is no question that the BULK of Planned Parenthood services DO indeed provide poor women with vital medical treatment not available anywhere else. In my view, that is exactly what "promote the general welfare" means, and I don't mind MY tax dollars supporting it.

excon

[cdad]

Beyond that, there is no question that the BULK of Planned Parenthood services DO indeed, provide poor women with vital medical treatment not available anywhere else. In my view, that is exactly what "promote the general welfare" means, and I don't mind MY tax dollars supporting it.

excon

I don't support abortion on a personal level. But that is a personal choice. I do believe that planned parenthood is a valuable service. I agree with Ex that there is a great need and they are filling in that gap. Regardless of my feelings on the abortion subject it is law and it is legal under the rules of law. Freedom isn't about one person its about everyone and the choices available to them.

Anyone who knows an accountant or bookkeepper knows how you can play with the numbers to force an outcome. Lets face it right now it's a numbers game.

[speechlesstx]

As opposed to killing brown-skinned people? That seems ok for you.

Nk, that was totally unnecessary, uncalled for, unwelcome, unrealistic and uncivil.

[excon]

I dont support abortion on a personal level.

Hello again, dad:

It's hard for a reasonable person to be an ideologue, isn't it? Thanks for coming out. My turn.

It may come as a surprise to some, but on a personal basis, I agree with Steve's description of abortion. For some, THAT alone would be enough. They hang their hat on that, and they KNOW they're right. And, if there weren't another person involved, who has rights too, I could be as certain about it as they they are.

But, I'm not. I'm conflicted. I only THINK I'm right.

excon