We need a "No Sail Zone" near Somalia

[Danzig]

i don't know/care whether the navy should patrol that area-but i'm not quite sure where the cost analysis is coming from. our sailors and ships are at sea more often than not, i doubt the cost would increase if they chose to patrol that area. i've never understood why the price is an argument, it's not as tho the navy isn't getting paid or using funds if there is no official action; there's always action.

as for the aid to somalia, it's probably in the form of food and medicine, and the price mentioned is a drop in the our vast budgetary bucket. people bemoan foreign aid, but our military expenditure far surpasses that. if we could actually raise foreign aid a few percentage points and buy some peace, and lower our military budget by the same percentage-we'd make money. i don't think people realize just how much of our budget goes to defense spending.

[joeydb]

Originally Posted by Danzig

the price mentioned is a drop in the our vast budgetary bucket.

"Save enough pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves." - Benjamin Franklin

[AeWingnut]

Originally Posted by Danzig

i don't know/care whether the navy should patrol that area-but i'm not quite sure where the cost analysis is coming from. our sailors and ships are at sea more often than not, i doubt the cost would increase if they chose to patrol that area. i've never understood why the price is an argument, it's not as tho the navy isn't getting paid or using funds if there is no official action; there's always action.

as for the aid to somalia, it's probably in the form of food and medicine, and the price mentioned is a drop in the our vast budgetary bucket. people bemoan foreign aid, but our military expenditure far surpasses that. if we could actually raise foreign aid a few percentage points and buy some peace, and lower our military budget by the same percentage-we'd make money. i don't think people realize just how much of our budget goes to defense spending.

how much of that foreign aid just ends up staying with the despots? Defense of this country is one of the things congress and the president are supposed to do.

I agree with the bolded part of your argument