America's Army

This is ridiculous. Appararently not only does the American Marine Corps have its own air force, seperate from the US airforce (whatever it's called), which is unbelievable in itself, but most of, if not all of, the other divisions of US military also have their own airforces. This was just used as an example of how much money is, dare I say, wasted on the US defense. According to this dude the US expenditure on defense is roughly equal to all the other countries in the world's expenditure on defense combined! That is insane.

Andrew.C wrote:According to this dude

Your sources are getting worse Andy.

Hey, he sounded reputable. Plus he was on the radio and he'd written a book (I think). If that doesn't prove he's right then that's completely destroyed my plans for the future...

Don't make me change the title of this forum to What Some Bloke In The Pub Told Me.

or What My Dad Once Said.

Yes, yes, very funny. You're all comedians; comedian jerks, that is! You're all missing the point of the whole topic, the military dealie, hello?

...yeah I'm a little cranky.

Oh right.
I don't doubt that they spend a shitload on their military nor do I condone it, but:
1) It's their choice
2) I wander how the whole thing is calculated. For the amount it costs America to train and maintain one soldier some shitty third world country could have a hundred.
3) Because it's cool.

Explain No.2. ...If you want.

They would have had to covert all the different countries spending into the same currency to compare spending and US$30,000 (number pulled from my arse) buys you a lot more in Nigeria than in America and that includes people.

Mmmm, I guess... but wouldn't the conversion of their currency for the comparison take precisely that into account? I dunno, I can never understand economics...

I'm not questioning the main point of the original post. I'm just saying it's not entirely fair.

I don't think we should complain though. Military spending gives us lots of new technologies. Of course if we just spent that shit-load of money on non-military research we also get results. Hmmm.... I'm sticking with my 3rd point. Military stuff is cool.