Just imagine Nick, for one second, if we played selfish for 1 year. What I mean by that is we stop foreign aid to everyone. We recall all of our troops world wide and all of our wars/policing activities halted. Our budget is anywhere from 52-55% defense related, this also covers overseas activities. This equates to roughly 1700 Billion Dollars. 4% is foreign aid as equates to another number in the Billions.

We spend 5% or less on our education, 2% on community and regional development, 3% on national resources and environment, another 2% on training and employment services. Hell, here is the pie chart.

Think about if we simply just cut out half of what I suggested and kept some of that money. Where would the U.S. be? How much more advanced and better off would every citizen be? Granted, we as a people would need to ensure that the new found money would be appropriated properly.

We throw away so much money it makes me sick to be honest. And a lot of it goes to where people hate us the most, which has me scratching my head. Don't get me wrong, I believe in helping where help is needed, but good god we spend a lot of money elsewhere while cutting our own throats here at home. There is a reason why our education system is so far behind the rest of the worlds.

i love pie charts...

auminer..i agree with you..i dont think we need to be in egypt or lybia...i know we waste fuck tons of money...thats why im proposing we waste money that actually helps a counrty...

the government is no longer in charge of mexico...the drug lords are...im blue collar..as is the majority of america..but we sit around and let the rich fuckheads run our shit....i dont really care...but when i see a country as fucked up as mexico is..dammit we need to help them...its like a neighbors house burning down...are you gonna say oh well...im gonna go watch south park?

Originally posted by hanako

i love pie charts...

lol I guess my point rolled up in a ball is that we or hell, any country for that matter, needs to have a clean house before it is able to truly be effective in helping another country. Scale it down to yourself. I can't lend/give you $20 if I have a $70 income and $20 for rent, $20 power $40 for my own personal Nickrox to protect me (just kidding on that, lol). The math just doesn't add up.

Now with my power and rent being a static I can get my defense to a manageable $5 or $10 then I can lend out a $20. Unless that balance happens, anyone would simply be treading water in debt. Hence the U.S.'s biggest problem at the moment.

I agree Nick, our money appropriation is fucked up at the moment. Right now, and it's been like this for quite some time, is that our funds are going to where they benefit our officials the most. Not necessarily where they are needed the most.

The US is helping (and I hate to admit that). For a while the CIA have helped South American countries stop the drug trade and they are helping Mexico too... but admittedly they are not helping nearly as much as they could.

Phoenix is right... Mexico aren't asking for help as Mexico don't want to rely on the US too much. The situation in Mexico is pretty bad though. No officials want to have a strong stance on drugs as those that do tend to get killed very quickly. Sad story.

ok were helping as much as they figure out how many people live in my house...paperwork and phonecalls....thats not helping shit..and who has to ask for help specifically?...the president? he wont do it cuz he doesnt want to die...hell ill go stand over there and scream help me

I have to say that if they are in distress and won't speak b/c of being scared then NATO should look into it... but as of today only a few excusions have came across the borders from 1 Natl Guard unit and several CPB officers being injured or killed... I believe that if another American is sucked into their drug war then the US should go in there and re-instate the power.

if nothing else..we should go in there and take over the drug trade and make money...just leave out the killing of innocent people part

Guess u have the flipside of that too and no americans take offence plz lol but alot of people especially mexico and alot of other countrys like arab nations..

who the fuck is america to tell people how to run there shit??

Btw i do not think that way , but end of day some people and countrys do.. like u say america cannot even look after there own shit so what right do they have telling others how to run theres??

Just a thought outside ure box