why are americans scared shitless?

[sandinista]

On Friday night, Bill Maher asked if America was undergoing a masculinity crisis. Why do we spend more on defense than the next 13 countries combined, Maher wondered?

“Let me ask you: if a guy on your block was so frightened of mostly nonexistent prowlers that he spent all his resources on alarm systems and guns and cameras, so much so that he didn’t even have enough money left to maintain his home or send his kids to college, would you call him brave?”

We're not the "home of the brave" anymore, Maher says, before asking: "When did we become a nation of dickless armchair warriors?"

http://www.alternet.org/bill-maher-how- ... r-warriors

[Jason]

I watched Bill Maher on Friday.. it was so incredibly dull.

[sandinista]

I watched Bill Maher on Friday.. it was so incredibly dull.

Yes it usually is lately.

[SteveB]

Yah, I saw that too. Disappointing pop psychology.

[Seth]

We spend money on defense because all you fuckwads in the rest of the world keep expecting us to play global policeman and come to the rescue all the time, and we cooperate.

Fight your own wars from now on and don't ask us for help EVER again, you ingrates.

[Jason]

Trololololo!

[JimC]

Circle them thar wagons!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

What's the boy on about now?

[Tero]

We spend money on defense because all you fuckwads in the rest of the world keep expecting us to play global policeman and come to the rescue all the time, and we cooperate.

Fight your own wars from now on and don't ask us for help EVER again, you ingrates.

[JimC]

We spend money on defense because all you fuckwads in the rest of the world keep expecting us to play global policeman and come to the rescue all the time, and we cooperate.

Fight your own wars from now on and don't ask us for help EVER again, you ingrates.

Between the wars there was a big American Isolationist movement, basically saying that the dirty Old World can stew in its own juices...

[sandinista]

Aside from oldman zillas trolling, seriously, why are americans so scared of everything. I mean, really, the amount spent on military is ludicrous. Obviously shitting themselves over something. As far away from "the land of the brave" as you can get. Is it just a culture of fear?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

We spend money on defense because all you fuckwads in the rest of the world keep expecting us to play global policeman and come to the rescue all the time, and we cooperate.

Fight your own wars from now on and don't ask us for help EVER again, you ingrates.

Between the wars there was a big American Isolationist movement, basically saying that the dirty Old World can stew in its own juices...

That changed quickly when the war in Europe started and was a minor factor in 1941. Both presidential candidates in 1940 were interventionists. The loser, Wendell Willkie, went on to be an roving ambassador for FDR, until he died in 1943. He was born and raised about seven miles from where I went to high school.

[sandinista]

so what's the little boy on about now?

[Tero]

It's a matter of honor, just like the binladen types. I wouldn't know, I am not patriotic (other than traditional Finnish anti Russian). I think them NRA types are embarrassed easily. They do not want to be caught with pants down.

[Seabass]

I don't think fear has anything to do with it. Why did former British, Spanish, and French empires raise and maintain such huge militaries? Did they do so out of fear?

Positions of power attract people who like to possess and wield power, and populous countries with robust economies tend to go a bit overboard with military spending, particularly after being dragged by Europe through two World Wars. Such is the nature of power, unfortunately.

Anyway, military over-expenditure isn't a uniquely American activity. The U.S. may be the only current superpower, but it will pass eventually, as has always happened in the past.