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The US spends more per capita because we don't control prices the same way other sane countries do; the military budget rhetoric is just a smokescreen to keep p
by sornaensis 5y ago
The US spends more per capita because we don't control prices the same way other sane countries do; the military budget rhetoric is just a smokescreen to keep people voting in folks who are lining their own pockets. As if shrinking one would increase the effectiveness of the other. The money and resources are THERE they just don't get USED effectively.
- arcticbull 5y agoIndeed, and disinformation about alternative systems. [1] [1] https://www.npr.org/2020/06/27/884307565/after-pushing-lies-former-cigna-executive-praises-canadas-health-care-system https://www.npr.org/2020/06/27/884307565/after-pushing-lies-...
- philwelch 5y agoThere are a number of reasons for this, but one of them is that US salaries are significantly higher.
- arcticbull 5y agoNot significantly vs say Canada, especially when you factor in costs being much lower in Canada too. For instance, OBGYNs have to pay up to $200K per year in medical malpractice insurance in the US, vs a maximum of $40K CAD in Canada. However, I have nothing against lowering physician salaries from Lambo to BMW if it means everyone is covered. This is not a position I shy away from. Further, if 10% of houses burned down each year because firefighters were being paid $10M in salary, would we shrug and say that salaries are just higher here? How about if 10% of the US landmass was undefended because everyone in the army made $500K. I would hope not.
- philwelch 5y agoFirefighter and soldier pay is also higher in the US. Though, back to the original point, the US also has an effective enough military that most NATO members basically half-ass their own defense, which is how they can afford to spend so much money on their social programs.
- trasz 5y agoThat's often said, but it's simply not true. NATO members generally don't have enemies that would be willing to attack them; the only real potential enemy, Russia, is too weak, and Europe is already its main commercial customer.
- nradov 5y agoRussia would absolutely try to seize parts of the Baltic states of they could get away with it, just like Ukraine.