How would you improve national security?

[The Red Crow]

Lol good point on China though. I didn't say I wouldn't do both. OP asked what would be one of the first things you'd do.

As a taxpayer I don't worry about tax burden. But as a leader (democrat, autocrat, whatever) that's a consideration. But it also depends on which choice is better in the long run. Anyway I thought in this hypothetical we were playing with funny money.

I look at what the government steals from me every year, and naturally I then take notice of how they spend it. You don't care?

The U.S. just passed a massive spending bill, that mostly helps the rest of the world. You and the other guy eyeb said that that's good for security.

Ok, but how does that help the Americans that spend their finite lives working, to feed their families, but also to fund the massive government machine?

The roads in my state are in disrepair; I see more panhandlers on corners than ever before; gas prices just shot up 10 cent. Who are my representatives looking out for exactly?

 

[The Red Crow]

No, I don't care. The government (any gov't) is going to do what it's going to do and there's not much I can do to change policy that would be worth my time. All I can do is reduce what I pay to as close to zero as possible, without risking imprisonment. I'd rather spend my energy reducing my personal burden than to wait for government to suddenly decide to spend money smartly, which it will never, ever do. That way I achieve better financial freedom and also am free of the burden of relying on Uncle Sam.

IMO agitating for government to change, or lamenting how it spends money, is time and energy that can be spent improving my own life and help others.

I agree. You won't ever see me at a political protest. Or any kind of protest, for that matter. What a bunch of dunces, that lot are.

I think people that protest just feel lost in the world and want to be a part of something. Anything! You know, tribalism and all that. My sports team is better than yours rah rah.

I've always been sort of a lone wolf, but most guys on this website seem to be. Seems I've come to the right place!

If you want to learn more about the nature of group-think, I'd recommend Eric Hoffer's True Believer. It really delves into the topic.

I recommend all of his books, really. He was quite the philosopher.

 

[rjc149]

Significant salary increases for FBI and CIA. Make them more competitive positions and thus raise hiring standards, and reduce their susceptibility to bribing.

 

[Bible_Belt]

Keep banning people until we are left with a homogeneous groupthink that makes conflict impossible.

 

[IamtheAlphamale]

If I was starting my own country I would first invest heavily in agriculture. Make it cheap for my people to get food. And expand immigration because it's better to have lots of people.

Second I would go hardcore with espionage. Good information is key.

Next I would invest heavily in education because that pays for itself. And gives my next idea an edge.

I would fund an extremely good cyber army. This is good because if push came to shove you could damage your adversary easily by doing this.

And I would invest around an average of what the country's around me do in military.

 

[speed dawg]

Foreign aid and international trade are great for peace. Turns out going to war in foreign lands is really bad for peace.

You can accomplish this at home too. Welfare and dope. Food stamps and Dollar General. Credit cards and shopping malls.

Tried and true methods for keeping folks at bay. You send a bunch of police in and tell people what to do, they riot. Give folks their Aid and Trade and let them be.

"Aid and Trade" is a copyrighted phrase,