The taxes you pay
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I've wondered about that too, Richard. Why in the world are we paying huge sums of money to contractors to supply things like food and laundry services to our soldiers? Why doesn't the military handle that on their own? It sure seems like it would be cheaper if some of the military personnel on the base had duties to cook and do laundry, doesn't it?
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America is doing just fine with its Orwellian perpetual wars. ah well, china and Japan now own America and Germany owns Ireland. War, what is it good for (obvious queue)
- Wolfshadw
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I actually live on the "space coast" of Florida. I live about 20 miles south of Kennedy Space Center, and work about 5 miles north of it. My job is not tied to the space industry in anyway whatsoever... and that is by my own choice. I once had a job that was closely related to the military and aerospace industries... and I chose to leave that far behind me.
While the discontinuation of the shuttle program is a terrible thing for our local economy, I am one of the people who doesn't believe that we've gotten a good "bang for the buck" from the space program. I honestly don't see that we've gotten much for our money.
Now, as for Americans owning America... yes, it is true... American entities own 68% of the total US debt, mostly in the form of government bonds. However, that has decreased from 87% just over 20 years ago.
It's a scary proposition for our country to owe money to foreign entities... especially to those who have or would have done us harm not too long ago.
While the discontinuation of the shuttle program is a terrible thing for our local economy, I am one of the people who doesn't believe that we've gotten a good "bang for the buck" from the space program. I honestly don't see that we've gotten much for our money.
Now, as for Americans owning America... yes, it is true... American entities own 68% of the total US debt, mostly in the form of government bonds. However, that has decreased from 87% just over 20 years ago.
It's a scary proposition for our country to owe money to foreign entities... especially to those who have or would have done us harm not too long ago.
- tony_park
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here here... why do we live here? Oh must be the great weather...StumpyBloke wrote:Personally I wouldn't mind paying all the taxes etc etc if I could see what I get for it...BUT...we have rising crime, crap roads, crap (and incredibly expensive) public transport, an imploding NHS, prisons like hotels, and prisoners treated better than our pensioners! Where's the justice and fairness??
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just read in time that the US owes $750,000,000.00 in late fees for shipping containers sent to iraq and afganistan and thats on top of the estimated 30 - 60 billion that they are finding in contractor over charging and fraud and money that was just lost. my cousin served 2 tours in afganistan and then got hired on with a contract unit in iraq. they made him a construction superintendent, the only problem with that is he had never built anything in his life. he couldn't even read a set of prints to get a job started. he told his boss about it and he told him to just figure it out. thats a little scary.