Don't forget inventions brought about by the billions spent in the military, such as epipens, microwaves, duct tape, gps.

Like NASA, the military sometimes invents something that us consumers end up using everyday.

What drives goods to be produced is the demand. As long as there is a demand for goods then they will be produced. Giving poor people more money to spend will increase demand of basic goods and services. I have idea what you mean by less incentive work.

We have tax havens because we over tax. No on should have to pay more than 15% of their money in taxes. It's ridiculous that we have people paying 30-40%+ in taxes, plus sales taxes, etc. 

Yeah and the price of those goods will increases as does the purchasing power of the poor. So in the end you'll be back at square one.

Why do you think noone should have to pay more than 15% of their money in taxes? Are you not aware of America's Golden Years, the highest points of economic growth, were where the wealthiest Americans were paying far more than 30-40%?

Are you a temporarily embarrassed millionaire? Do you think that someday you'll win the Lotto and then you don't want to pay high taxes on all that money?

It will never stop shocking me that people care more about the handful of wealthiest Americans who have more money than they know what to do with than they do about the nation's weakest, poorest, and sickest. And then my shock only grows more as these people profess to follow Christ's teachings who taught above anything else to look after the poor, the sick, and the weak.

What is it that causes your callous lack of empathy to millions of malnourished children living in the streets? Instead you worry, "Oh shit, this wealthy guy has to pay more than 15%". You are a terrible, terrible person.

If it wasn't for that 'military money pit', you'd be speaking German today. Or Japanese. Or be an ash thanks to a Soviet nuke.  The price of oil would be 3X what it is now. Pirates would control the open oceans. And there would be 2 million more younger aggressive men running loose on our streets with no discipline or purpose. The 2 million children of the military are well taken care of, sometimes for life. Equaling 10's of millions from the past years. When the Army buys a Billion dollar plane, an American Co. with 1000's of employees builds that plane. Army bases employ 1000's of civilians in 100's of town across the US. Good jobs too.  The Military is one of our best investments/programs/ education systems/innovators of modern life we currently have. Money well spent.

Yes, back in WWI and WWII America did not have a completely bloated defense budget. It still performed admirably well along with our allies. Now we have more aircraft carriers than the next 6 countries put together.

We are building tanks that we have no need for. We are building planes which are incredibly cost inefficient to replace planes that are the most cost efficient the US has every produced. We are wasting money on building shit that the Army/Navy/Air Force have said that they do not need. We sell tanks to the middle east at a fraction of the cost and then marvel when we have to go up against US built tanks in a war zone.

The most wasteful welfare spending is the military defense budget. It needs to be audited and it needs to be brought back to a reasonable level.

Because everyone has the right to make their own choices and carve out a living. I come from a poor family in Europe, built my own business here in the west and make a pretty good living. I send a big chunk of that back to family that needs help. I pay a big chunk of it in taxes. I work 6-7 days a week, long hours. I sacrificed friendships so that I could put all my focus on work. I do OK for myself, but my goal is to do a whole lot better. IMO if your goal in life isn't to do financially well, then don't complain if you're poor. Your priorities are different. I know a lot of poor people that didn't prioritize money over everything else, including my own family. That's why they are poor. They cared more about having families, kids, friendships and fun than laser focusing on career, and career only. 15% is fair, it covers basic utility that an individual uses in society. It should be a flat tax and rich shouldnt be punished by paying for the poor. Opportunity should be equal and I'm for public option higher education to help achieve that, but you don't need crazy taxes to do that. You need to restructure what you're spending it on right now. We're already taxing corporations, then you tax the individual on income, then again via sales tax. It's ridiculous.  

Are you saying that the malnourished children living on the streets are "choosing" to live that way? Are you saying that being poor is a choice? What a woefully ignorant statement.