Search for articles on how much the US spends on defense compared to other countries and you get directed immediately to total dollar amount of spending. Since we're a large country, that makes our spending look way out of line. Search for articles on welfare spending by country, and suddenly they all want to talk about the number as a percentage of gdp because that makes us look smaller than other countries. Very hard to find it in total dollars. When they want to define their priorities in different terms than ours, you know you're being hoodwinked.
It's similar to the shell game they play with inequality. When the fed blows asset bubbles like they are today, the left wants to focus on wealth inequality. But when a recession hits and asset prices tank and unemployment goes up, then suddenly the left wants to talk about income inequality. See, that way there's always a rising inequality no matter what happens.
Yes, we're not bigger than the next eight countries combined when you look at it like this. And that's why the left never looks at it like this.
Thats what matters most.You really think we need to spend trillions a year on defense when China spends 215 billion and Russia spends 69 billion?
Have you ever wondered why the US Dollar is the world's reserve currency? That's what I thought--you haven't.---and don't care.
The U.S. involvement in so many wars is concerning. It does appear that some of it is to open markets for our corporations. Some of it appears to be some sort of geopolitical competition with our competitors for political control. Some may be merely be compensated favors for a country using us as their hired gun. Unfortunately, these actions ruin many lives of innocent people. The media rarely shows that horrors of war anymore. Are they afraid to foster public opposition to U.S. millitary action or to piss off their advertisers? However, Russia, China, Germany, and some others definately have nationalistic interests. In an world of misdirection, it is hard to know how much millitary action is really necessary.
Everyone has nationalistic interests. Israel is definitely using the US as a hired gun except the US is paying for it as well, it's blatantly obvious. In Eastern Europe US can contain a rising Russia, letting Russia do as it wants would mean a Soviet Union pt. 2 and that's bad news for US as well. The Iraq war appears was to keep them in check and that the oil is traded in dollars, not euros. There are legitimate mutual interests with allies like the South China sea because if China controls the shipping lanes in the Singapore strait, it's terrible for US corporations as well as others. Media doesn't show war as much anymore because people are tired of it. The shock value is gone, people are used to it and like to live in their bubble.
The media also seems to under-cover corporate scandals. They may give a brief account of some of them, but nothing like the 24/7 coverage like you get on a social issue. It’s like if a consumer gets ripped off, “So what, they should know better.” The media does not want to risk advertisers pulling their ads. This ends up reducing corporate accountability and increasing consumer reluctance in spending their money, thus having negative implications for our economy. I agree with the war weariness part, but would like to feel like I know what’s going on. The media always seems to have time to go over most personal scandals ad nauseum.