US Spends More on Military Defense Than the Next 7 Countries COMBINED
We repeat: we have a problem with values in this country.
In 2015, the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA spent $596 BILLION on defense.
The next 7 countries--China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, United Kingdom, India, France, and Japan--spent a combined $567 billion in the same year. Exclude China from that list, and the US spent more than the next 17 countries combined.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Pentagon and government have poor accounting practices, so it is difficult to accurately say exactly where these taxpayer funds are spent. However, researchers estimate that $385 billion of this (over half the budget!!) is paid out to PRIVATE CORPORATIONS--from Halliburton to BP--hired to build, operate, staff, secure, weaponize, and stock the nearly 1,000 US military bases worldwide.
Taxpayers endorse this. Is this the world you want?
On the heels of reports that the Pentagon lost $6.5 TRILLION, we believe it’s time to re-evaluate our priorities.
At the Garden of Eden, we don’t support the global military-industrial complex in theory or in action. We don’t shop at stores, pay taxes, sponsor corporations, or rely on petroleum. We redirect our focus from systems that profit on death and destruction to build a healthier and more sustainable world for ALL!
Our existence proves that you do have a choice and that a better way is possible.
www.intothegardenofeden.com
Sources:
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/campaigns/military-spending-united-states/?gclid=CNuKy_y7y84CFYSFaQodXHcBNg
http://www.salon.com/2013/05/14/where_does_all_our_military_spending_go_partner/
http://www.dodig.mil/pubs/report_summary.cfm?id=7034
Our existence proves that you do have a choice and that a better way is possible.
www.intothegardenofeden.com
Sources:
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/campaigns/military-spending-united-states/?gclid=CNuKy_y7y84CFYSFaQodXHcBNg
http://www.salon.com/2013/05/14/where_does_all_our_military_spending_go_partner/
http://www.dodig.mil/pubs/report_summary.cfm?id=7034
Sources:
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/campaigns/military-spending-united-states/?gclid=CNuKy_y7y84CFYSFaQodXHcBNg
http://www.salon.com/2013/05/14/where_does_all_our_military_spending_go_partner/
http://www.dodig.mil/pubs/report_summary.cfm?id=7034
When a country can print as much currency as they want, its easy to spend $trillions on arming yourself. This will only end badly.
Yep, just run the printers and exchange the paper for tanks and guns and soldiers and aircrafts and anything else you "need"! Check out Quinn's article on the Truth About Money: https://steemit.com/money/@quinneaker/the-truth-about-money-what-you-need-to-know-to-free-your-self-from-perpetual-debt
Although, "bad" and "good" are relative...if the US loses its military or financial might, there are plenty of people in the world who would view that as "good"...
@pierce-the-veil: Sadly. Business as usual.
I can smell a powerful change cooking, or is that the government accounting books? (BWAHAA!)
It is sad - and, unfortunately, it is business as usual for the Old (Decaying) Paradigm... But thank GOD for people like you ( @pierce-the-veil) - people like @quinneaker - and for communities like the @gardenofeden! ...And, of course, for people willing to make a stand and support what is honorable and sustainable ...people such as myself. ;-)
But now! For the lighter (i.e. humorous/flippant) side:
...Cuz if I had a hammer... I'd bill the gub'ment over $400 even though it only cost me about $3! Why? Because capitalism baby! Certainly not cronyism - and if you attempt to hold me accountable and claim such, you are guilty of treason, are unpatriotic, and are a terrorist who supports sharia law and mad-max style anarchy!! ...Now have I left anything out? :-P
Right?! What kind of accounting LOSES trillions of dollars?! Last time the Pentagon announced it "misplaced" TRILLIONS of dollars, 9/11 happened...
It's okay, only the peasants had to work hard on raising that money.
With risk of upsetting a few people I can quite openly say that I believe the US government commits more human rights offenses on a daily basis than any nation in the world today.
You won't upset anyone around here by speaking Truth!
Funny how they missed that in my junior high 7th grade world history and American history class.
Upvoted! Check out my article on how to protect your money from the coming collapse: https://steemit.com/money/@tee-em/get-rich-during-crisis-how-to-arbitrage-bitcoin-silver-gold-and-other-assets-to-maximize-profits-during-collapse-part-1
Great stuff! Keep em coming!
Thank you! We're big proponents of silver, and not only for its use as a store of wealth: http://www.intothegardenofeden.com/colloidal-silver2.html
Just got through watching Michael Moore's newest, Where to Invade Next, and I can tell you where your tax dollars are NOT going to - social programs to help its citizens. Can't do that and feed the military-industrial complex at the same time.
Exactly! So everybody could be asking themselves, "What are my values? What do I want to support?" because we're all here shaping this world together, and we're either part of the problem or we're part of the solution.
The truth of all of this really disgusts me and it should disgust everyone. Wake up! sleeping zombies!! Hello, the government is using you to raise revenue to exploit and enslave the planet. What are we gonna do about it? Shout it out on steemit. It's a start. @loveon
So grateful for the Garden of Eden and the commitment to telling the truth.
Not only is the U.S. government spending money in this devastating manner, but also extremely sad is that most people have no clue what is really going on and/or just simply feel helpless to do anything about it, or even worse, choose to ignore it so they can go on living their ordinary distracted life without taking responsibility for their actions. "That's just the way it is" is a common complaint--resigned to the disgust and helplessness that is way bigger than the self. Threats and intimidation, harassment and incarceration are keeping people in line. Fear is the best motivator. However, we all can do something about it f we can all begin to see what the truth is, and stop participating (shopping, paying taxes, depending on petroleum and supporting corporations) because we won't be able to live with ourselves knowing what we are supporting. Integrity, personal responsibility and living by values is what it takes to stand up to these injustices. Coming together to raise awareness and knowing we are supported by sharing these types of posts on Steemit will reach a greater active and engaged audience that will be provoked to make change. At the Garden of Eden we are doing it already and showing it IS possible. Anyone seeing how it is working here will have no excuses to say they can't do anything about it. There is a HUGE beast out there--let's stand together to make change. Grateful for this opportunity to show there is a better way.
To be fair, the vast majority of that money goes right back into the US economy. Trust me, I know! I own a firm that does work exclusively for the Dept. of Defense. The vast majority of the time the US gov't won't do business with any private sector business that has foreign ties or foreign ownership/leadership
I'm sure more than one will levy a "how dare you! part of the machine? really?"... Look at it how you want, I'm actively, legally, and directly taking my tax dollars back.
The US economy is not built on values that we admire. We prefer health and peace and wellbeing and honor, but money flowing through the war machine is not in support of that. The US govt is more than willing to do business with foreigners--just look at arms dealers Finmeccanica or the 100% privately owned Federal Reserve that is actually controlled by international bankers!
https://steemit.com/money/@quinneaker/the-truth-about-money-what-you-need-to-know-to-free-your-self-from-perpetual-debt
Is it not? Or do we pretend the values we admire are health, and peace, and wellbeing, and honor, when the values our culture and society clearly favor health-through-pharma, idolize gangsters and thugs, entertain ourselves with depictions of violence, and punish honorable behavior?
In regard to the MIC, the bulk of that money flow is with US based business. I have personally seen contracts END because a CANADIAN was placed on the executive board of a company...
Let me clarify: we at the Garden of Eden prefer health and peace and wellbeing, so we live according to those values, rather than participate in feeding the war machine. The larger society and culture does indeed endorses Big Pharma, the monopoly on violence, manipulation and control. At the end of the day, WE have to answer to ourselves, so we at the GOE choose not to participate in those dishonorable systems in any way.
I find that hard to believe. Do you have any credible proof of that? I'd love to explore what you're saying. But just because I can sell without your permission what you worked hard to pay for and in turn use the money to buy something useful does that make it okay?
I'm not sure what part of my post you want proof on. Where the money goes is a matter of public record. You can see how much each contract is worth and how much was expended. You can see who the contractors were. You can see who owns that company. That chunk is easy to determine. The black contracts are of course not a matter of public record, but because they are generally much more sensitive work you can reason the requirements get much more stringent.
Regarding your second point, what are you referring to? US sales of arms to foreign entities? Yes the US is a major arms exporter... the US Government however isn't the seller, it simply wields the power to approve or disapprove of sales. The actual sellers are your Lockheed Martins, Boeings, Raytheons, Northrup Grummans, etc. Their only affiliation with the federal gov't is that the federal gov't is their main customer.
I have personally experienced this industrial complex. A reevaluation of values is in order!