4 ms·

Great. Can we change it to just be the non killing part for a few years until the bad project ideas fully die off?

by tclancy 4mo ago

alberto467 4mo ago
No it would obviously lose its purpose then.
- adrianN 4mo ago
  You could have a jobs program that builds infrastructure instead.
  - peaseagee 4mo ago
    That's where we got a whole lot of dams in the American West!
    - marcosdumay 4mo ago
      Last that I checked, you guys could use some more trains.
      - sarchertech 4mo ago
        We have way more rail than the rest of the world. More than China, Russia, and the EU. We have almost 20% of the world’s total rail. But we prioritize freight instead of passenger service. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_rail_transport_network_size https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_rail_tran...
Schiendelman 4mo ago
If anything, we've been letting the killing parts languish dangerously for decades - to the point where we may not be able to defend our allies in a serious conflict.
- dh2022 4mo ago
  As proven so well during this whole debacle in the Hormuz strait.
  - brookst 4mo ago
    Hard to see that as an indictment of military capability when it is so overwhelmingly a reflection of political incompetence.
    - dh2022 4mo ago
      Hmmm, the US is not able to control the Hormuz strait. Iran decides who goes through it. Yesterday Iran shot at a vessel [0]. We can argue the semantics of “control” but I think this whole debacle showed the limits of US military power. [0] https://www.npr.org/2026/06/26/nx-s1-5871963/un-agency-pauses-evacuation-of-ships-through-strait-of-hormuz-after-attack-vessel https://www.npr.org/2026/06/26/nx-s1-5871963/un-agency-pause...
      - WarmWash 4mo ago
        There is a difference between military might and political will. Going all out on Iran would free up the straight, but also be political suicide for the right.
      - brookst 4mo ago
        Do you really think the US military was given orders to control the strait, and couldn’t? It showed limits for sure. But the limits were bluster without the will to follow through (and accept the consequences). It’s a political and diplomatic catastrophe for an empire in decline. But if control of the strait had been an actual priority, it would have been very achievable. That was never the goal though. The goal was to look stupid on TV, for some reason.
        dh2022 4mo ago
        Re: “Do you really think the US military was given orders to control the strait, snd couldn’t?” Pretty much. I think US military was given the order to make Trump look good, and they couldn’t (Trump looks weak now, which he completely hates)

Great. Can we change it to just be the non killing part for a few years until the bad project ideas fully die off?

by tclancy 4mo ago

Great. Can we change it to just be the non killing part for a few years until the bad project ideas fully die off?

alberto467 4mo ago

No it would obviously lose its purpose then.

adrianN 4mo ago
You could have a jobs program that builds infrastructure instead.
- peaseagee 4mo ago
  That's where we got a whole lot of dams in the American West!
  - marcosdumay 4mo ago
    Last that I checked, you guys could use some more trains.
    - sarchertech 4mo ago
      We have way more rail than the rest of the world. More than China, Russia, and the EU. We have almost 20% of the world’s total rail. But we prioritize freight instead of passenger service. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_rail_transport_network_size https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_rail_tran...

Schiendelman 4mo ago

If anything, we've been letting the killing parts languish dangerously for decades - to the point where we may not be able to defend our allies in a serious conflict.

dh2022 4mo ago
As proven so well during this whole debacle in the Hormuz strait.
- brookst 4mo ago
  Hard to see that as an indictment of military capability when it is so overwhelmingly a reflection of political incompetence.
  - dh2022 4mo ago
    Hmmm, the US is not able to control the Hormuz strait. Iran decides who goes through it. Yesterday Iran shot at a vessel [0]. We can argue the semantics of “control” but I think this whole debacle showed the limits of US military power. [0] https://www.npr.org/2026/06/26/nx-s1-5871963/un-agency-pauses-evacuation-of-ships-through-strait-of-hormuz-after-attack-vessel https://www.npr.org/2026/06/26/nx-s1-5871963/un-agency-pause...
    - WarmWash 4mo ago
      There is a difference between military might and political will. Going all out on Iran would free up the straight, but also be political suicide for the right.
    - brookst 4mo ago
      Do you really think the US military was given orders to control the strait, and couldn’t? It showed limits for sure. But the limits were bluster without the will to follow through (and accept the consequences). It’s a political and diplomatic catastrophe for an empire in decline. But if control of the strait had been an actual priority, it would have been very achievable. That was never the goal though. The goal was to look stupid on TV, for some reason.
      - dh2022 4mo ago
        Re: “Do you really think the US military was given orders to control the strait, snd couldn’t?” Pretty much. I think US military was given the order to make Trump look good, and they couldn’t (Trump looks weak now, which he completely hates)