@stux to be even more specific, it'll create additional contracts for General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman. :thinkergunsunglasses:
@stux You are correct and I agree with you and support doing whatever it takes to help Ukraine win. It’s also a fact that of all the forms of public spending, arms and other military spending are the least effective, dollar for dollar, at job creation. Military spending is also, in many (most?) countries, a swamp of corruption. I'm still in favor of holding our noses and stopping Putin.
@timbray
Much of the military spending would have happened anyway. $20B to replenish Pentagon stockpiles that were already spent, $14B to new purchases, $15B to intelligence, training etc. Even of the money that "leaves" USA, much of it will return to US companies - though likely not taxpayers. But that is another matter.
@osma@stux I agree with every word you write, but it's helpful for policy conversation to remember that military spending is corrupt, corrupting, and ineffective at job-creation.
@timbray
The question is, which is less effective: peacetime or wartime military spending?
And of the various kinds of other ineffective, corrupt activities eating taxpayer money, the peacetime surveillance technology we've both had reluctant roles advancing might even come ahead.
What I'm saying is that the cost comparison is so muddy, it may not be useful to even discuss while the urgent issues are still urgent. @stux
@timbray@stux After working in big tech for almost a decade, I'm no longer convinced that government spending, and even military spending, is universally more wasteful.
A lot of what large corporations do is net negative on the public harm vs good scale. Compared to that, being merely inefficient is a win. And don't even get me started about corruption...
@angdraug@stux I agree 100%. Lots of stupidity and waste on both sides. The only point I'm making, and I stand by it, is: If you are considering public spending as benefiting the economy, the lowest benefit per unit of spending is on the military side.
In life you need to rank your concerns. Right now defending Ukraine is a couple of light years more important of a concern than "military industrial complex sucks" as a concern
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