But it's not about what makes sense. Yes, obviously, the ideal situation would be to make a perfect structure before pulling the lever but we can't be idealist about this. The system will never be perfect so we have to settle with marginal improvements. I'd rather the military industrial complex have the money than the rich because they'll actually spend it. Sure, it's not where I'd like it to be spent but it'll actually trickle down through industries. Can't make a tank without metal, can't get metal without mining, can't mine without workers, so on and so forth.
Next step is aiming that from the complex to something better. Something closer to infrastructure. But it's important to understand these things are done incrementally and rarely all at once.
I am a European and i also was of the Opnion that the US spends too much on military. But since the 24th of February, I have had to completely change my Mind. I was in the wrong. THEY were right. The West still needs to fund their Militaries. Because Putin and Xi are not interested in a peaceful world, if they don't pull all the Strings.
My thought is, sure we can tax the rich and make them less rich. But I find it hard to believe that the government is going to magically allocate those resources in a way that actually benefits Joe Schmoe. On top of that, even if you totally liquidated every billionaire, you'd get less than $2k for every person in America. Make it $4k if you only distribute it to the bottom half. Sure, it would be nice and I think billionaires are a scourge, but I don't think it's going to fix the problems people think it will.
Seems to me that the people going on and on about eating the rich would get a lot more done if they focused on achievable policy goals that directly affect their community. I would bet money 95% of the clowns that keep going on about this stuff don't even know who their city councilman is and have never been to a town hall meeting.
But if you inverse those thoughts or even pull back a bit, it's the same defeatist perspective. "Sure we can allocate taxes better but I find it hard to believe we'll ever be able to tax the rich." These aren't unrealistic changes or even far fetched, it just comes down to informing people and making the change. Most average people don't know what the Military Industrial Complex is or how it works and by telling them and illustrating how bad it is, politicians who'd like to remain politicians might listen to their constituents a little bit more than their wallet. Not entirely but enough.
Eating the rich is just a vivid expression to get the point across. A motto of sorts that just gets the idea across that the ultra wealthy need to be reconstituted into society at large. Be it through harmless proposals of policy and ranging to, well, the French Revolution. You don't need to know who your city councilman is nor your town hall to agree with something and make a change. I personally don't have time to attend a town hall with the oldest people in my county who are more interested complaining about a bakery not being in the right zoning area than change their mind about local taxes.
Change is slow and it starts with education. Being pissy or condescending also isn't a very good way to convince people you're right. If anything, they'll put extra effort into being wrong to spite you.
All military spending comprises ~10-15% of the budget, just a FYI.
The military budget isn’t stopping anything. In 2022, $4.1 Trillion was spent on mandatory programs (social security, Medicare, Medicaid, income security).
Social security, Medicare, and Medicaid alone were just shy of $3 Trillion.
A part of that is that there’s the entire budget of all federal outlays and then “the budget” which is what the President requests and Congress authorizes.
That is solely the discretionary spending. It’s unfortunate that it’s the only thing that actually gets talked about in the media.
Related, but interest on the debt is set to pass military spending like next year even.
Fact: despite popular perception and rhetoric, the government does not actually need to issue taxes pay for things. Taxing the rich does not actually act as a source of revenue; it disincentivizes greater Extremes of price gouging and wage suppression as well as reducing the wealth disparity between the the poor and wealthy.
Your objection is nonsensical, misleading, and damaging to the cause. Good job. 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏
Thanks for sharing a perspective that I hadnt considered. I certainly agree that corporate greed is detrimental and plays a key role in governmental corruption.
Even stuff like welfare and social benefits help the rich more than the poor. Walmart can have billions of profits while their people make so little they have to apply for aid. If aid wasn't there, they would have to pay proper wages and their profits would be smaller.
as opposed to the rich people doing military donations on their own? the spotify ceo invested in fucking AI military killing machines man grow up. you have no control over rich people and they have demonstrated that there is no reason to trust them. the government sucks too, but at least you get to cast a vote on how much it sucks. stop bootlicking
I'm all for taxing the rich, but I'm even more for rooting out the corruption that enables the rich to become the monsters they are. This isn't bootlicking, its holding the opinion that the priorities are out of order.
Taxing the rich means their money will go straight to government. Just have corporations pay workers more, so it goes straight to the people. Taking the rich is a stupid fucking movement, people should be emphasizing paying the workers more