3 ms·

$20B as a one time payment is nothing when compared to a defense budget of $750B a year for a country that is neighbored by Canada and Mexico.

helsinkiandrew 3y ago
> $20B as a one time payment is nothing when compared to a defense budget of $750B a year for a country that is neighbored by Canada and Mexico. It may be a smallish percentage of the defence budget - but it would be a massive amount to get approved.
nindalf 3y ago
A country that borders Canada and Mexico and also underwrites security for selected countries around the world. That’s Pax Americana isn’t it? You may correctly point out that they only did this because peace encouraged trade, which made them rich. You may also say that they did to increase their global influence and that would be right as well. But that means that the $750B a year is a rational expense that has economic and geopolitical benefits. That doesn’t mean any expense on any unrelated thing can be justified with “it’s only a few billion. What’s a few billion when you’re spending 750 on an unrelated thing”. Each expense needs its own cost benefit analysis. It may well be that $20B for a collider is cheap compared to the benefits, but you have to make that argument. Comparing expenses isn’t a compelling argument.
- derelicta 3y ago
  Pax Americana only applies to close allies of the US Empire. Republics that do not bow to its Might get erased from the surface of the Earth.
  - nindalf 3y ago
    Yes, I can certainly see how such an argument can be made. I can think of counter-examples like India, which had been antagonistic towards the US for decades. This was especially apparent when the US provided naval support to Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. And yet last I checked, India hadn't been erased from the surface of the Earth. But my original point stands - Pax Americana was very much worth it for America and her allies. The cost of the military budget used to maintain Pax Americana paid for itself.
system2 3y ago
That defense budget is also saying "I am powerful and dangerous" which keeps the dollar strong in a way. Imagine spending $1B per year instead. China and Russia would be on top of America within days.
bluescrn 3y ago
It's only half a Twitter. Elon could have bought two...

helsinkiandrew 3y ago

> $20B as a one time payment is nothing when compared to a defense budget of $750B a year for a country that is neighbored by Canada and Mexico. It may be a smallish percentage of the defence budget - but it would be a massive amount to get approved.

nindalf 3y ago

A country that borders Canada and Mexico and also underwrites security for selected countries around the world. That’s Pax Americana isn’t it? You may correctly point out that they only did this because peace encouraged trade, which made them rich. You may also say that they did to increase their global influence and that would be right as well. But that means that the $750B a year is a rational expense that has economic and geopolitical benefits. That doesn’t mean any expense on any unrelated thing can be justified with “it’s only a few billion. What’s a few billion when you’re spending 750 on an unrelated thing”. Each expense needs its own cost benefit analysis. It may well be that $20B for a collider is cheap compared to the benefits, but you have to make that argument. Comparing expenses isn’t a compelling argument.

derelicta 3y ago
Pax Americana only applies to close allies of the US Empire. Republics that do not bow to its Might get erased from the surface of the Earth.
- nindalf 3y ago
  Yes, I can certainly see how such an argument can be made. I can think of counter-examples like India, which had been antagonistic towards the US for decades. This was especially apparent when the US provided naval support to Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. And yet last I checked, India hadn't been erased from the surface of the Earth. But my original point stands - Pax Americana was very much worth it for America and her allies. The cost of the military budget used to maintain Pax Americana paid for itself.

system2 3y ago

That defense budget is also saying "I am powerful and dangerous" which keeps the dollar strong in a way. Imagine spending $1B per year instead. China and Russia would be on top of America within days.

bluescrn 3y ago

It's only half a Twitter. Elon could have bought two...