07-24-2012, 06:28 PM
First off, kandrathe, that was awesome and well thought out.
I think that States' Rights has been eroded almost as much as parts as the 4th and 1st Amendments ( Search \ Seizure and Freedom of the Press respectively ). It is rare that states are allowed to make laws that go against the national agenda, and if/when they do, the feds are usually jerks about it.
As far as spending goes, we've been at war for 10+ years, and that has a hefty price tag. I am pretty sure that that money would have been spent elsewhere if it wasn't part of the "defense" budget.
There is a line of thought (that it turns out, is pretty common) that started post-WW2, that Defense spending brought this country out of the great depression, and if Defense spending returned to pre-WW2 levels, that the US economy would crash again.
Our gov't spending (and some other policies) are not sustainable, and 90% of what the political elite (politicians, major media, political media, etc) do is to keep the populace so divided over things that are hot-button topics (Abortion, Climate change, Marriage Discrimination, etc ) that we seem oblivious to the smoke-and-mirrors.
In the 12 years I've been able to vote, I used to think that things would change. Now I'm just a political cynic.
I think that States' Rights has been eroded almost as much as parts as the 4th and 1st Amendments ( Search \ Seizure and Freedom of the Press respectively ). It is rare that states are allowed to make laws that go against the national agenda, and if/when they do, the feds are usually jerks about it.
As far as spending goes, we've been at war for 10+ years, and that has a hefty price tag. I am pretty sure that that money would have been spent elsewhere if it wasn't part of the "defense" budget.
There is a line of thought (that it turns out, is pretty common) that started post-WW2, that Defense spending brought this country out of the great depression, and if Defense spending returned to pre-WW2 levels, that the US economy would crash again.
Our gov't spending (and some other policies) are not sustainable, and 90% of what the political elite (politicians, major media, political media, etc) do is to keep the populace so divided over things that are hot-button topics (Abortion, Climate change, Marriage Discrimination, etc ) that we seem oblivious to the smoke-and-mirrors.
In the 12 years I've been able to vote, I used to think that things would change. Now I'm just a political cynic.