Comment on All we did was make the already rich even richer
TheDemonBuer@lemmy.world 1 week ago
What we have to show for it is by far the world’s largest military, a pretty ok public health insurance program for people 65 and older and people with disabilities (Medicare), a much worse public health insurance program for poor people (Medicaid), and an ok-ish public retirement system (social security).
A lot of that money, though, is a revenue source for very large, private, for-profit companies. A lot of our military budget goes to providing revenue to defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, RTX Corporation and Northrop Grumman. A lot of our Medicare spending goes to providing revenue to for-profit healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies. Entire multi-billion dollar industries are largely dependent on these Federal programs for their continued existence.
But because those companies are trying to not only make a profit but always increase their profits, they cut their costs as much as possible to keep their profit margins as high as possible. This often results in lower quality products and services being provided. So, a good amount of what the Federal government spends goes into the pockets of owners, investors and executives.
The problem is profit. We’ve got this nonsensical system where private, for-profit corporations are being paid to provide public services that shouldn’t have the incentives or constraints associated with a profit making enterprise. It’s ludicrous.
Nonsensical? Ludicrous? I’m deeply offended by your unpatriotic rantings, you communist coward. It is, by far, the most efficient system… for siphoning money into the pockets if the already rich.
You just need to work harder at pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps. You may think you have grit, determination, and intelligence but clearly you don’t have enough of any of those things because, if you did, you’d have managed to be born to rich, connected parents.
Boot straps are now made of cotton candy and melt upon touching them, they’re subscription based, and the boot strap factory was moved abroad in the 80s under Reagan and now the bootstrap parts are put together and packaged and sold by ai robots, but you’re gonna get a data center and flock cameras in your bathroom and kitchen and living room and car soon, so that’s nice.
Yeah, the government is a revenue source for huge companies is like half of Elon’s wealth, the other half being actually illegal market manipulation
And a system that can’t regulate or incentivize competition.
jobbies@lemmy.zip 1 week ago
Yet it still struggled in Korea, Vietnam, Afghan, Iraq and now Iran. Countries like Ukraine are doing more with a lot less. Size + spending = capability doesn’t seem to add up anymore and isn’t providing value for money. Like you say, its just enriching the military contractors.
I don’t know about Medicare but Medicaid and SS are pretty dismal compared to the rest of the west. And even countries like China nowadays.
nucleative@lemmy.world 1 week ago
Projecting power is hard and defense is usually easier than offense.
The USA was historically pretty smart by having a giant military but deferring to negotiation and soft power techniques to get its way.
It helped when we had allies. Actually that was kinda crucial to the concept. :-\