The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

I've recently written and updated a blog with regard to the U.S.'s ridiculous amount of military spending, which was estimated to be greater than the next 14 biggest spending countries combined as of 2010. Coincidentally enough, I just read an article which showcases that we as a nation spend way too much on defense. As the article cites, there is bipartisan support behind spending $436 million on the Army's Abrams tanks.  What are the reactions of senior Army officials? Basically, "Thanks, but no thanks." General Ray Odierno, the Army's chief of staff, said the following in an interview on the matter with the Associated Press - "If we had our choice, we would use that money in a different way." Sean Kennedy, director of research for the nonpartisan Citizens Against Government Waste, said, "When an institution as risk averse as the Defense Department says they have enough tanks, we can probably believe them." Precisely... If the ...

I spoke to a friend of mine, who enlisted in the Navy approximately 3+ months ago, just yesterday and he told me, "I think it should be required for everybody to be in the military at some point in their lives. I mean, if they can turn me around, they can turn anyone around." I hadn't talked to the guy for a while, so I didn't argue. While I sincerely hope that he has been shown a new perspective, has learned a great deal and is a better person because of his joining the Navy, I don't think everyone should be required to join the military. While I agree that the military can be very beneficial for some people, it can also harm others and not everyone needs to be shaken up and changed drastically. If everyone went to the military at some point in their lives, can you imagine what this country would be like? For those that take the U.S. as a democracy, you might as well kiss that notion goodbye. If this were to take place, yeah, we might be more united, but not ...