Where your tax dollars go in one chart

[carlfense]

http://www.vox.com/2014/4/14/5611944/where-your-tax-dollars-go-in-one-chart

[darkhorse85]

Now this would never happen but wouldn't it be interesting to see a the same type of chart but if each individual taxpayer got to say where each dollar of their taxes went? I'd put at least half of mine toward science and med research and another good chunk toward education. What a mess that would be though.

[tschu]

We spend almost 5 times as much on our military as China does; meanwhile China has over 4 times our population.

 

The US military budget accounts for well over 1/3 of all military spending by every single country worldwide.

 

But hey, #supportourtroops and you're a socialist communist muslim if you want to cut our defense budget!

[sd'sker]

i believe the military budget is so high because that is an acceptable way to provide money and jobs to citizens that you could not otherwise through such social programs as unemployment.

 

you look at how much waste and excess there is in the military in building tanks that the military specifically asked not to be commissioned and it is pretty obvious that this is more about jobs than it is about security. especially given how intelligent based security is, as opposed to just brute force.

 

a more rational society would just see that it would be money better spent by just giving it to those who can not get jobs or by creating jobs dedicated to fixing our infrastructure and investing in becoming a leader in a future industry, like becoming forerunners of green energy.

[RedSavage]

I agree that the military spending may be somewhat out of control but like sd'sker said, It's more about jobs than anything. Also as part of the new "budget", military spending has been greatly reduced (I'm too lazy to look up exact figures). The real spending problem lies with the entitlement programs. I'm not saying that all these programs need to be eliminated, but there needs to be some drastic changes if the U.S hopes to ever get out of debt.

 

There are a lot of people struggling to make ends meet in this country and I have no problem helping those people out. However, there are far too many people not paying taxes and receiving handouts for having 100 kids and being too lazy to go get a job like the rest of us. The argument that "I wasn't given the same opportunities" or whatever's the excuse along those lines is BS. You live in the land of opportunity but it is not something that is just going to be handed to you (in most cases). The most successful people in life are not the one's who just waltz through expecting everything handed to them. They are the ones who work their asses off to get to where they are or want to be. To quote the great Vince Lombardi "The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Work is the key to success and hard work can help you accomplish anything." (Sorry, stepping down from soapbox now)

[carlfense]

There are a lot of people struggling to make ends meet in this country and I have no problem helping those people out. However, there are far too many people not paying taxes and receiving handouts for having 100 kids and being too lazy to go get a job like the rest of us. The argument that "I wasn't given the same opportunities" or whatever's the excuse along those lines is BS. You live in the land of opportunity but it is not something that is just going to be handed to you (in most cases). The most successful people in life are not the one's who just waltz through expecting everything handed to them. They are the ones who work their asses off to get to where they are or want to be. To quote the great Vince Lombardi "The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Work is the key to success and hard work can help you accomplish anything." (Sorry, stepping down from soapbox now)

It's not the lazy for the most part . . . it's the old people.

http://www.cbpp.org/...fa=view&id=3677

[tschu]

Sadly it isn't about jobs. It's about massive corrupt government defense contracts with private companies. That money goes straight to the 1%.

[tschu]

I agree that the military spending may be somewhat out of control but like sd'sker said, It's more about jobs than anything. Also as part of the new "budget", military spending has been greatly reduced (I'm too lazy to look up exact figures). The real spending problem lies with the entitlement programs. I'm not saying that all these programs need to be eliminated, but there needs to be some drastic changes if the U.S hopes to ever get out of debt.

 

There are a lot of people struggling to make ends meet in this country and I have no problem helping those people out. However, there are far too many people not paying taxes and receiving handouts for having 100 kids and being too lazy to go get a job like the rest of us. The argument that "I wasn't given the same opportunities" or whatever's the excuse along those lines is BS. You live in the land of opportunity but it is not something that is just going to be handed to you (in most cases). The most successful people in life are not the one's who just waltz through expecting everything handed to them. They are the ones who work their asses off to get to where they are or want to be. To quote the great Vince Lombardi "The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Work is the key to success and hard work can help you accomplish anything." (Sorry, stepping down from soapbox now)

 

Rofl. Sorry, but rofl.

[tschu]

Like the ideological bullsh#t - to - fact ratio in that post approaches infinity

[strigori]

There are a lot of people struggling to make ends meet in this country and I have no problem helping those people out. However, there are far too many people not paying taxes and receiving handouts for having 100 kids and being too lazy to go get a job like the rest of us. The argument that "I wasn't given the same opportunities" or whatever's the excuse along those lines is BS. You live in the land of opportunity but it is not something that is just going to be handed to you (in most cases). The most successful people in life are not the one's who just waltz through expecting everything handed to them. They are the ones who work their asses off to get to where they are or want to be. To quote the great Vince Lombardi "The dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Work is the key to success and hard work can help you accomplish anything." (Sorry, stepping down from soapbox now)

It's not the lazy for the most part . . . it's the old people.

http://www.cbpp.org/...fa=view&id=3677

The BabyBoomers are hitting that retirement area, and its throwing the population pyramid off, its not much of a pyramid right now. The handful of people exploiting the system is far from the biggest concern. Odds are it would cost more to crack down on it that ignore it.

 

The defense contracts are an area that needs the cuts. Like the tanks we are paying to have made, then sit in garages. Tanks the army doesnt want, but congressmen do.

[sd'sker]

Like the ideological bullsh#t - to - fact ratio in that post approaches infinity

yeah. first, how many are we claiming do not deserve benefits compared to how many are deserving? second, even if those "gaming" the system wanted jobs, there simply are not enough jobs for all the unemployed. third, many jobs could be automated and are quite meaningless and require you to have two to support yourself. finally, productivity is at record highs. there was a time when we envisioned four hour work weeks. well, we got enough productivity, but we did not scale anything else. so we have fewer jobs that pay less because we need less workers, so workers have no bargaining power and less worth. productivity advanced greatly, but no other part of the model has.

 

and i agree that it is about corrupt gov't contractors, rather than jobs. but they specifically put bases and have contracts in every state to make it political suicide to close a base or shutdown a factory. it is an effect of the military-industrial complex. but, it is about jobs insofar as it is about getting money to a district. and it is the only acceptable way to get money to citizens from the gov't.

[tschu]

Again, the vast majority of that money isn't going to Private G.I. Joseph who enlisted out of high school. It's going to Boeing and the like, straight to the major shareholders and directors - aka straight to the 1% anyway. So the jobs angle is purely political.

 

If we cut the military budget in half and then put that money into hiring teachers and police officers and into welfare programs and youth programs that actually DO sh#t, guess what, that's a much more effective and productive way to get government money back into the hands of your everyday lower-to-middle class citizens.

[zoogs]

People on food stamps buying fish.

[sd'sker]

Again, the vast majority of that money isn't going to Private G.I. Joseph who enlisted out of high school. It's going to Boeing and the like, straight to the major shareholders and directors - aka straight to the 1% anyway. So the jobs angle is purely political.

 

If we cut the military budget in half and then put that money into hiring teachers and police officers and into welfare programs and youth programs that actually DO sh#t, guess what, that's a much more effective and productive way to get government money back into the hands of your everyday lower-to-middle class citizens.

i am talking about the factory workers who are building the tanks.

 

and i completely agree with your second paragraph, but, unfortunately, in this county that is a less acceptable use of gov't funds than unwanted tanks.

[tschu]

People on food stamps buying fish.

The #1 issue facing this great nation today.