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Originally Posted by roachboy
the right, despite all it's blah blah blah markety market nonsense, really really loves spending and spending and spending on shiny weapon systems that kill people in great number. on enabling people who are alive to live better lives? not so much.
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ace, I think I know your point;
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Baraka, perhaps you get my point but Roach certainly does not. What is the role of government? Over and over conservatives who share my point of view state our answer to the question. It is not the role of government to spend money taken from one group of people to make the lives of another group of people better. It is the role of government to provide among other things a common or national defense. I understand people disagreeing on the answer to the core question presented, but the injection of the implied morality is a problem and the root of uncivil exchanges. Government is not the best or most efficient means to help improve the lives of others. Raising taxes to accomplish that goal in Germany or any where else is the wrong approach.
---------- Post added at 05:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:30 PM ----------
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Originally Posted by Tully Mars
Yeah, I think the last time I looked it was during the Ike admin. (maybe it was Nixon, google it) that the debt didn't increase with a GOP POTUS. For all their blah, blah, blah about cutting spending the right LOVES to spend. When they've got the check book they drain it, over draw it and make statements like "deficits don't matter." Then the minute the Dems get voted in they start screaming about spending, the debt and deficits.
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Sometimes the screaming is coming from different factions within the ranks of conservatives. Also at different moments in history the nation had different needs. After WWII, it was reasonable to expect defense spending as a percent of GDP to decline. After a decade of neglect in the 70's, it was reasonable to expect defense spending to increase. I supported the first Iraq war and supported actually invading the country to remove Saddam at that time - many conservatives did not. I supported the second Iraq war, but had mixed feelings about nation building - some conservatives namely the Powell wing, you break it you fix it, supported nation building. In Afghanistan, i want the troops home, now - some conservatives do not. Your assumption that all conservatives share the same views on every issue is mistaken. In addition, reasonable and thoughtful people, can change their views based on new and current information.