Love This Website!

This website actually has an interactive program where you can add what we could spend our tax dollars on, versus more national security.

This is one I did:

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/i...trade-offs/?to[]=6|1|1&to[]=2|1|1&to[]=9|1|1
LexusLover's Avatar
Oh, I thought you meant Eccie.
Old-T's Avatar
  • Old-T
  • 04-16-2015, 04:03 PM
The basic problem is the inputs to the site are almost guaranteed to be made by people who are clueless about the choices they are making.

I couldn't read your input because your link did not work, however that is not important. Let's ask a few basic questions:

--If you cut DoD by 25%, what is the actual effect to readiness? Which future modernization programs will have to be cancelled? What will that do to the US's ability to shoot down cruise missiles headed inbound from an Iranian freighter in 2020?

--If the follow-on GPS system is cancelled (savings: several billion over several years), how long before natural decay starts reducing the GPS constellation under 24? What does that do to your GoogleMap accuracy? To aircraft mid-air collision avoidance in the future ATC network? What does that do to the increased cost of every major construction project in the US?

--If you defund the national forest service by 25%, what does that do to the expected acreage lost to wildfires in the Rocky Mountain area? How many school lunches will that provide (make sure you use the fully burdened cost of that lunch, not the advertised cost which is often only the cost of the food)?

--How much has the NASA budget been historically? What has the economic return been on all the tech advances that came out of NASA and transitioned into the American economy (start with the microwave, which is used much more widely than in home kitchens)? If you cut NASA's budget by 25% what does that do to future impact on the next round of dual use technology, and thus to the US economy?

--How much did the US gov't spend on the development of the Ada software language (itself a failure)? How much did that influence the development of C and C++, and other object oriented languages? How much did that impact the US computer software enterprise--and so many parts of your life that you have no clue it does?

Uninformed people think they can make wise choices about hideously complex, interconnected networks. Usually choices made that way are catastrophically wrong.

I await your answers.
The constitution requires that the government have a military, how big is releative I guess.

But, anything other than that I think each taxpayer should get to decide how much, if any, and how their tax dollars are to be allocated if they choose.

You would find out very quickly how little socialism is really in America. I would be willing to bet that 90% of Americans don't give a shit about any of the government programs and would keep it for themselves.
The basic problem is the inputs to the site are almost guaranteed to be made by people who are clueless about the choices they are making.

I couldn't read your input because your link did not work, however that is not important. Let's ask a few basic questions:

--If you cut DoD by 25%, what is the actual effect to readiness? Which future modernization programs will have to be cancelled? What will that do to the US's ability to shoot down cruise missiles headed inbound from an Iranian freighter in 2020?

--If the follow-on GPS system is cancelled (savings: several billion over several years), how long before natural decay starts reducing the GPS constellation under 24? What does that do to your GoogleMap accuracy? To aircraft mid-air collision avoidance in the future ATC network? What does that do to the increased cost of every major construction project in the US?

--If you defund the national forest service by 25%, what does that do to the expected acreage lost to wildfires in the Rocky Mountain area? How many school lunches will that provide (make sure you use the fully burdened cost of that lunch, not the advertised cost which is often only the cost of the food)?

--How much has the NASA budget been historically? What has the economic return been on all the tech advances that came out of NASA and transitioned into the American economy (start with the microwave, which is used much more widely than in home kitchens)? If you cut NASA's budget by 25% what does that do to future impact on the next round of dual use technology, and thus to the US economy?

--How much did the US gov't spend on the development of the Ada software language (itself a failure)? How much did that influence the development of C and C++, and other object oriented languages? How much did that impact the US computer software enterprise--and so many parts of your life that you have no clue it does?

Uninformed people think they can make wise choices about hideously complex, interconnected networks. Usually choices made that way are catastrophically wrong.

I await your answers. Originally Posted by Old-T
My link worked just now when I clicked on it! Did you even try to click it???

Here is it again:

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/i...trade-offs/?to

It's an excellent website and very transparent if you actually read it and try it out.
Old-T's Avatar
  • Old-T
  • 04-25-2015, 02:32 PM
Yes, I did try a couple times when you first posted it, and it did not work then. Thank you for posting it again--i tried it now and it did work. I looked around it for a while. Unfortunately it does not address the kinds of concerns I expressed in my previous post. Can you address them? It always troubles me when people want to give great power without the requisite understanding. I asked some reasonably specific questions and hope you will reply to them.
Yes, I did try a couple times when you first posted it, and it did not work then. Thank you for posting it again--i tried it now and it did work. I looked around it for a while. Unfortunately it does not address the kinds of concerns I expressed in my previous post. Can you address them? It always troubles me when people want to give great power without the requisite understanding. I asked some re
asonably specific questions and hope you will reply to them. Originally Posted by Old-T
Hey, dude, I am only here to post what I see. I do not think most "poor aemricans' look at anything besides Fox News. You, I, and the rest of us have been programmed to accept what is happening. We are silently consenting to a government we do not want. The problem with our government is that it is not ruled by the people, but instead a corporate group, or what should I say, the 400 familes who own 50 percent of the wealth in America. Money is used as a tool to conquer and destroy. I wonder what would happen if the world was not ruled by money, but instead by mutual respect for all of humanity.
The basic problem is the inputs to the site are almost guaranteed to be made by people who are clueless about the choices they are making.

I couldn't read your input because your link did not work, however that is not important. Let's ask a few basic questions:

--If you cut DoD by 25%, what is the actual effect to readiness? Which future modernization programs will have to be cancelled? What will that do to the US's ability to shoot down cruise missiles headed inbound from an Iranian freighter in 2020?

--If the follow-on GPS system is cancelled (savings: several billion over several years), how long before natural decay starts reducing the GPS constellation under 24? What does that do to your GoogleMap accuracy? To aircraft mid-air collision avoidance in the future ATC network? What does that do to the increased cost of every major construction project in the US?

--If you defund the national forest service by 25%, what does that do to the expected acreage lost to wildfires in the Rocky Mountain area? How many school lunches will that provide (make sure you use the fully burdened cost of that lunch, not the advertised cost which is often only the cost of the food)?

--How much has the NASA budget been historically? What has the economic return been on all the tech advances that came out of NASA and transitioned into the American economy (start with the microwave, which is used much more widely than in home kitchens)? If you cut NASA's budget by 25% what does that do to future impact on the next round of dual use technology, and thus to the US economy?

--How much did the US gov't spend on the development of the Ada software language (itself a failure)? How much did that influence the development of C and C++, and other object oriented languages? How much did that impact the US computer software enterprise--and so many parts of your life that you have no clue it does?

Uninformed people think they can make wise choices about hideously complex, interconnected networks. Usually choices made that way are catastrophically wrong.

I await your answers. Originally Posted by Old-T
Your posts are far too long and hard to read. PLus, I have no idea what you base your opinions on. I do research on public internet, which is unbiased. I never watch mainstream news, since they only want to brainwash unknowing Americans. I see the light and I refuse to profess otherwise. Does that answer your question?
Your posts are far too long and hard to read. PLus, I have no idea what you base your opinions on. I do research on public internet, which is unbiased. I never watch mainstream news, since they only want to brainwash unknowing Americans. I see the light and I refuse to profess otherwise. Does that answer your question? Originally Posted by SeekingTruth
LOL!
I would love to psycho analyze you. You surely have deep rooted problems within yourself. Get help and that will appease us all here on this board. Recognize what you need to heal and then you can and wlll heal yourself. People teach what they need to learn. That is a fact.
Old-T's Avatar
  • Old-T
  • 04-27-2015, 08:22 AM
Your posts are far too long and hard to read. PLus, I have no idea what you base your opinions on. I do research on public internet, which is unbiased. I never watch mainstream news, since they only want to brainwash unknowing Americans. I see the light and I refuse to profess otherwise. Does that answer your question? Originally Posted by SeekingTruth
No, it does not. I will rephrase it more directly:

--Your post seemed to be in favor of "the people" allocating where they want their tax dollars to go

--I pointed out that majority decisions based upon a lot of ignorance (often well meaning, but still ignorance) can be very detrimental

--I gave examples of many of the unintended consequences and asked your opinions on them


You ask, "I wonder what would happen if the world was not ruled by money, but instead by mutual respect for all of humanity." I think that is a wonderful ideal. I do not have any idea how to get there, nor any examples from history where it has been implemented in large scale.
No, it does not. I will rephrase it more directly:

--Your post seemed to be in favor of "the people" allocating where they want their tax dollars to go

--I pointed out that majority decisions based upon a lot of ignorance (often well meaning, but still ignorance) can be very detrimental

--I gave examples of many of the unintended consequences and asked your opinions on them


You ask, "I wonder what would happen if the world was not ruled by money, but instead by mutual respect for all of humanity." I think that is a wonderful ideal. I do not have any idea how to get there, nor any examples from history where it has been implemented in large scale.
Originally Posted by Old-T
If you think you are so right, then prove it with real research. Show us how we are not spending billions of unnecessary spending on national security; show me how police brutality has not increased recently; show me why all the videos are coming out on Youtube by unbiased professionals and backed with fact.

Show me some of your facts to back your beliefs.
  • shanm
  • 04-28-2015, 04:45 PM
I do research on public internet, which is unbiased.

....I do research on public internet, which is unbiased. .....

.....I do research on public internet, which is unbiased..... Originally Posted by SeekingTruth

What.the.actual.fuck
No, it does not. I will rephrase it more directly:

--Your post seemed to be in favor of "the people" allocating where they want their tax dollars to go

--I pointed out that majority decisions based upon a lot of ignorance (often well meaning, but still ignorance) can be very detrimental

--I gave examples of many of the unintended consequences and asked your opinions on them


You ask, "I wonder what would happen if the world was not ruled by money, but instead by mutual respect for all of humanity." I think that is a wonderful ideal. I do not have any idea how to get there, nor any examples from history where it has been implemented in large scale.
Originally Posted by Old-T
So, in other words, to put it simply, you do not believe that 99 percent should govern themselves? Yes, I am very idealistic and very proud of it.
Old-T's Avatar
  • Old-T
  • 05-03-2015, 11:20 PM
Yes, I do not believe a lot of ignorant people collectively make good decisions. I believe a lot of narrow perspective people make very poor decisions when they try to micromanage.