Americans Have Spent Enough Money On A Broken Plane To Buy Every Homeless Person A Mansion

originally posted by: elementalgrove
The reality of this is so absurd that we need a country wide discussion as to the direction we, as a society would like to go! I have always been disgusted by the ludicrous amounts of money we spend on our military, however this takes the cake for it is a single project!

Since they are going to tax us anyways, which income tax being constitutional is debatable, we have a duty to direct which way they spend the money they take from us. There is no excuse to allow our money to be spent on weapons of war when they can be spent on helping all who need help. Which crosses all demographics.

thinkprogress.org...

On any given night in 2013, the Department of Housing and Urban Development concluded, there were an estimated 600,000 homeless Americans living on the streets. Numerous studies, however, have showed that rather than putting money into temporary shelters or incarceration, communities have saved millions of dollars by investing in permanent homes for the homeless. A recent report showed that in one Florida community, it cost taxpayers an estimated $30,000 to take the homeless off the streets through traditional methods, but only around $10,000 per person to give them permanent housing and provide job training and other support. Expanding that concept to the Federal level, even taking into account things like varying real estate prices around the country, it’s possible that $7.4 billion would be more than enough to start a program nationwide. With the full amount spent on the F-35 at its disposal, the U.S. could afford to purchase every person on the streets a $664,000 home.

We have to begin demanding change, that is all that there is too it. Our federal government has been out of control for far too long, it is very clear that our politicians have no interest in standing for the people. They are far too busy enjoying the money they get from whichever corporation you would like to list. This goes far beyond partisan politics, we can see that very clearly and this is a shining example of what I am talking about!

Put simply it our responsibility to keep our government in check, that is all, far too many war crimes have been committed in our names and continue to be done. It is not even worth mention these crimes for they are and have been apparent.

Well, why aren't you doing anything? Do something. Threads demanding people do something posted by people who would never do something are getting old.

This is what happens when the Democrats and Republicans we elect to represent us have defense company stock in their portfolios. STOP ELECTING DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS!! THEY DO NOT REPRESENT US!!

With the full amount spent on the F-35 at its disposal, the U.S. could afford to purchase every person on the streets a $664,000 home.

BS

Want to know how much property taxes is alone on a home ?

Let alone a 600,000 one.

Then the insurance costs.

Yep sure could buy a home, but they wouldn't be able to keep it.

originally posted by: BASSPLYR
a reply to: elementalgrove

There's a lot more going on with the F35 than the public knows about, and neither does the guy who wrote that article. It's not a piece of junk.

It actually is an over promised but under deliver and under performing military folly.

The Boeing entry would've been the smarter bet.

Derek

originally posted by: VoidHawk
Just imagine how we'd all be living if we didn't have to pay for wars?

Free health care.
Homes for everyone.
Decent education.
Huge amounts of money for sensible research projects.
etc etc

But no, instead we give it all away to the men who make bombs and then we drop them on ourselves.

What a sick world we live in.

Isn't it overwhelmingly sad and frustrating! So many things could be dramatically different in this world if there was a major attitude change in the tiny percent of people that took it upon themselves to decide what is important in this world over everyone else. Ego control freaks that are quite frankly sick sick people spiritually and mentally speaking. They could have learned from multiple points in history that their way of doing things never works out for anyone, but just like history repeats ad infinitum, we all have to feel the pain of "them" learning this the hard way. What goes around comes around.

a reply to: crazyewok

If that thing had come out 2 years earlier or Hitler WAS not nuts about BOMBERS that would have been a mess.


OH, BUY the way all ,just watch "Pentagon Wars" based on the aquisition of the Bradley fighting vehicle as it goes through development it is quite funny and worse because of it's accuracy.

a reply to: algag1129

Making assumptions about what people do or do not do is nothing but a waste of time. We all choose our battles.

One place to start is by spreading awareness and getting people to discuss the topics that are problematic. I have done this at every opportunity in my life. Could I do more I suppose you always can, as far as the MIC nothing short of mass awareness of the issue and a desire to change could confront that beast, hence sharing the article to gauge ATS opinion, which from what I can tell believe that the aggressive military spending is necessary.

Thank you for your criticism, I hope that you are one of the people that you speak of and whatever issue it is that you place your attention on you are helping make an impact in the proper direction.

a reply to: therealone717

Thank you for your response!

I have been outweighed heavily in this thread, people are of the opinion that we need the military in order to continue to have superiority over other countries tech and we the masses get the perks eventually once they have progressed far enough ahead.

I disagree with this for I believe that if we simply worked to a mutual beneficial relationship, which these billions of dollars could be used for, we would all benefit. Inevitably we will get to the point of maturity where allowing people to suffer from lack of shelter, food, and water will simply not be an option. We have the technologies to fix our problems, we just need the motivation.

originally posted by: elementalgrove
a reply to: therealone717

I disagree with this for I believe that if we simply worked to a mutual beneficial relationship, which these billions of dollars could be used for, we would all benefit.

Because real life is like that. Very logical and cooperative. People are never self-destructive. People never steal from each other, or hurt each other, it's all the govt's fault. People don't kill people, guns do. People never, ever, cheat the system, or other people. People never take advantage of the system, or of other people.

If people had a chance to do nothing and get a little, or work hard and get more, everyone would work hard to get more. No one would just sit back and live off the sweat of others.

Fair is something that exists in nature, always. Fair is not a concept invented by man. Fair is often seen in history.

a reply to: bbracken677

This is stictly my belief.

What you speak of is the old paradigm, that of left brain mentality. You may call it real life and you are correct. For many generations now we have been living in a world where we have been cut off from our higher self. In this reality we have been collectively experience what you could call our dark nature, ego driven logical left brain dominated world. Dog eat dog so to speak. I do believe we are experience a shift to a new paradigm.

That which works in harmony with nature, where consciousness rest in the heart not strictly the mind. Where the left/right are united and we begin to activate aspects of our spiritual nature that our current world attempts to ignore. Where the concept of profit is foreign. We are far greater than this and to believe that this is just the way it is does not work in my world. Compassion is a manifestation of this new paradigm, one in which our current one is helping to develop.

As the natives believed we can not possibly own the land for we are of the land. We are all one, this is another of my beliefs so ultimately it goes beyond nationality. We must seek cooperation amongst nations and not allow ourselves to be divided by our animal instincts. TPTB have applied Edward Bernays book Propagnda to perfection, it has caused us to grow in many ways, as well as being extremely limiting, leading to where we are now. However at a certain point, someone has to make the move towards peace not superiority.

Perhaps we shall see this after another great conflict, perhaps not. I understand the lessons I came to this level of existence, the end result is death in which my spirit will travel wherever it so chooses.

originally posted by: groingrinder
This is what happens when the Democrats and Republicans we elect to represent us have defense company stock in their portfolios. STOP ELECTING DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS!! THEY DO NOT REPRESENT US!!

You make a great point wrapped in a political statement.

It is inappropriate to hold stock in a company you politically support (as a politician).

I mean it is really bent, I dont understand why the USA cannot stop it, except that the USA seems to be a dictatorship of rich tw@ts wrapped in a brainwashed freedom.

How is it legal that major shareholders and supporters of Blackwater and Halliburton (back in the day, other parasites accepted) who are major supporters of governments can be hired by said government supporters, to line their own pockets!!!

Its absurd, it really is.

Is this not off topic for an Aircraft thread? Surely we want the 1% Americans with a weapon so awesome noone will fcuk with them!

Its not like they will make world peace with that weapon even though they could, peace is poor, it will be used to make the 1% even more rich I assure you.

Such a shame......

a reply to: elementalgrove

Hey man, I get ya! I was raised in the 50s and 60s...I once believed exactly as you do. The problem with the world is that people live in it.

All the lofty thinking of a few will not change life in the streets. Will not change the thinking of the 1%ers either. I worked in a HUD housing project for 3 months. Talk about a dose of reality. If you give people enough to subsist on, no matter the conditions, no matter how close to not subsisting, there will be those who will be totally content to accept that as a way of life so they don't have to work. At the particular community I worked at...hundreds of apartments, there were only a handful that had jobs and were actively trying to leave. Everyone else there were solely interested in doing the absolute minimum it would take to remain there. $25 a month for all utilities paid apartments provided you filled out the paperwork ... for an apartment that was crap, in a crime ridden complex. No one could get cable tv there simply cause the cable people would not waste their time installing the wiring it would take or the dishes....they would be stolen within days.

Heck...look at the homeless. I have a list of numbers to call and addresses of organizations in Dallas that will help a homeless person get back on their feet. Try giving that to a homeless person begging at a corner. It gets wadded up and thrown away. I wont say that all homeless would react that way, but damned if it isn't a lot of them. You cannot help someone who doesn't want to even take the first step to help themselves.

It's all very well and good to think that man should be willing to be altruistic, but it just doesn't work that way, unfortunately.

a reply to: SirDrinksalot

Personally I think that the whole lobbying/lobbyist system is faulty and lends itself to massive fraud and graft. Yet who is going to outlaw it when the same people that benefit from it are the ones who would have to pass the law stopping it. The foxes are in charge of the hen house.

I think that the fact that every politician who remains in office a few terms becomes a millionaire is a dead giveaway that there is something rotten in DC, and yet instead of massive investigations there is only the occasional sacrifice to the altar of public opinion.

a reply to: Viesczy

It's skin, it's electronics etc...that are of value. Plus we are learning how to mass produce stealth aircraft. Plus it keeps a lot of people employed, keeps our labor pool ready and operational and skilled for when we need to recruit a few thousand to build much more advanced aircraft. Also, it's not a sloppy turd it can whoop some ass. And finally, maybe it makes a good financial front. "wow, they sure are dumping a lot of money into the f22 and f35 and there's been no new public disclosures of progress, what a waste of money!" meanwhile maybe that money goes to the "f35" and then the second the money gets transferred it goes to develop multiple other projects clandestinely. Maybe it's a handy way to get funding for lots of cool stuff without everybody noticing or following the accounting trail.

Why not help tje folks that are busting their rears just trying to pay the bills?

You know, the one's that are ttying to contribute to a better lifestyle for their families and themselves, hell just paying the bills is a struggle.

I realize that some cannot help their situation, and those few do need help, but why suggest giving a mansion to those who do not strive to do better for themselves?

Some may call me heartless but I consider myself a realist.

They need education, not a mansion.

a reply to: liejunkie01

Absolutely true. I have no problem helping those who need help, those who will help themselves. I have a problem with providing a free ride to those who refuse to help themselves but could.

I think the mansion thing was just for illustrative purposes...I don't think the OP was recommending that be done.

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

If the US decides to go humanitarian tomorrow and gets rid of it's military you think China and Russia will follow suit? If so you do not see the world at all.

Last time I looked at a globe of the world, I didnt see Russia or China invading countries 10,000 kms from thier borders.
The fact that the USA was involved in hundreds of military incursions in the lsat century is porbably lost on you.

a reply to: jtrenthacker

The time has come to take care of our own and let the rest fend for themselves.

The US has only thought of its own self interest. The invasions of Iraq and Libya were to stop them going on a gold standard which would have meant the death of the US petrodollar standard. That would have meant that the US couldnt keep exporting its inflation. Simply put with the death of the Petrodollar you would have to start earning your keep, rather than living of the blood of the rest of the world.

The US only ever thinks in terms of its own superiority usually at the expense of the rest of the world.

a reply to: Terminal1

Nothing happens in a vacuum. Sure there may be job losses. People could be retrained or as a lot of posters have stated a lot of downstream industries and products happen because of military spending. Whats to stop the same technologies being uses more createlivly in peacful industries?

you no longer have a car industry and yet you have the worlds greatest attack aircraft..Why did the US car industry die? Oversubsidizing and lack of innovation.

a reply to: bbracken677

So for the last few decades the US has been the dominant military power, stealing and looting through wars and the rigged $US petrodollar. And yet you have a failing health system disparity in wealth and many other ailments.

How has your strength helped your nation. And by nation I mean your common folk? All I see is decadence, distrust of your politicians and contempt of anything non-American. But hey at least your 1% are getting richer or bailed out by your politicians.