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richardhutnik on 21 March 2013
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johnsobas said:
Mummelmann said:
johnsobas said:
come on, defense is the one thing that everyone can agree the government should be doing.


Defense against what, exactly? I never understood that, when was the US invaded by an enemy or even threatened by any army? The only thing I see is a massive military that goes preemptively into other countries, bombs them to smitherines and leaves them in ruins with no infrastructure, governing organs, funds or future, only contempt and poverty. Oh, and asks that NATO helps pick up the bill and try to stabilize the region afterwards.

War is bleeding the US dry, war is costly, read up on some English and French history and see how utterly depleted even the richest nations can become by waging war on everyone and everything.

i agree with you, i didn't  say they should be invading other countries.  Defense is one of the only thing the constitution gives to the federal government to do.  We do need a strong defense, but just that, a defense.

Actually there are a number of things the Federal Government does besides defense.  It regulates interstate commerce, whis has been used a LOT to increase the scope of the Federal Government's role in the UNited States.  And the elastic clauses enables the Federal Government of the United States to get into a lot of different things.  

Also derived from national defense is the idea of protection.  This can, as time go on, get fairly broad.  The said "War on terror" started, because despite having the world's premier military, individuals hijacked some plane with box cutters and flew them into buildings with symbolic value. 

You an see what is in mind for the U.S Constitution by looking at the Preamble:

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.