War Without End. Amen

Boy King George says that we are a Nation at War. He says it's a war we cannot win. It's a War without end.  Amen.

Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes ... known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few.... No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.

-- James Madison, Political Observations, 1795

So how much this all costing us Georgie? More below.

If we don't stop extending our troops all around the world in nation-building missions, we're going to have a serious problem coming down the road.
-George Bush

From the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Information there shows the U.S. military budget request by the Bush Administration for Fiscal Year 2007 is $462.7 billion. (This includes the Defense Department budget, funding for the Department of Energy (which includes nuclear weapons) and "other" which the source does not define. It does not include other items such as money for the Afghanistan and Iraq Occupation which is $50 billion for Fiscal Year 2007 and an extra $70 billion for FY 2006, on top of the $50 billion already approved by Congress.)

For Fiscal Year 2006 the defense budget was $441.6 Billion

In 2000 the figure was $288.8 Billion Note that the next largest expenditure was by Russia at $55 Billion. China has replaced Russia at number 2 on the list now. . Check out the comparison between  United States Military Spending vs. The rest of the World

The US military spending was almost two-fifths of the total.
The US military spending was almost 7 times larger than the Chinese budget, the second largest spender.
The US military budget was almost 29 times as large as the combined spending of the six "rogue" states (Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria) who spent $14.65 billion.
It was more than the combined spending of the next 14 nations.
The United States and its close allies accounted for some two thirds to three-quarters of all military spending, depending on who you count as close allies (typically NATO countries, Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan and South Korea)
The six potential "enemies," Russia, and China together spent $139 billion, 30% of the U.S. military budget.
                 None of these figures include the running total for Iraq
Cost of the Iraq Occupation

"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it.- George Bush"

I just thought I'd put up a few figures in case anyone has forgotten the pornographic amount of money we are spending on killing one another. I'm sure others with more time and ambition could calculate how many schools, fire trucks, meals for the homeless, medical clinics, etc. we could finance with that money. I honestly don't have the stomach for it right now. Fiscally bushco has been an unmitigated disaster, I don't think even the 29%ers would argue with that. The bigger tragedy in my view is that America has somehow lost it's way.
We have become that which we always despised and fought against. We have become the Oppressor.

"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And when you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you." Friedrich Nietzche

"It would be some time before I fully realised that the United States sees little need for diplomacy. Power is enough. Only the weak rely on diplomacy... The Roman Empire had no need for diplomacy. Nor does the United States." Boutros Boutros-Ghali

The only thing we have to combat the criminals in power is the truth. Propaganda is not truth.

See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." --Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005

At least he manages to tell the truth once in awhile.

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." --Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004

Maybe I'm just paranoid, maybe the chimp is really the peace president.

"I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace." --Washington, D.C. June 18, 2002

It's late, I worked 40 plus hours welding in some serious fucking heat this week, I'm tired and hungry. This is my best effort for a Friday night considering my lethargy. Make of it what you will. Finally I can't help but quote Boy Wonder once more just for fun:

"Natural gas is hemispheric. I like to call it hemispheric in nature because it is a product that we can find in our neighborhoods."

Finally one of my favorites and always informative:

"Most imports are from outside of the country"-George Bush