this post was submitted on 05 Nov 2024
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Late Stage Capitalism

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[–] [email protected] 61 points 2 months ago (3 children)

What's funny is the amount of projection. It was military spending that bankrupted and ultimately ended the USSR, while leaving the population in poverty, starving.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

And The same thing is happening in Russia again....

[–] [email protected] 32 points 2 months ago

Applies even more to modern Russia..

[–] finitebanjo 29 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

You realize explaining the source of this commentary actually detracts from its credibility in this case, right? It would be like finding out Hitler approved of dance being a required course for music majors. Even if he might be right, he's not the person anybody wants on their side.

[–] LANIK2000 25 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Accurate, but the fact that it's a commentary form the Soviet Union is ironic as hell.

[–] Olhonestjim 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] LANIK2000 13 points 2 months ago

It's ironic, because unlike the US, the Soviet Union literally bled it self dry with war and its population was (and still is) beyond poor despite being among the luckiest countries when it comes to natural resources, while not being plagued by internal conflicts and foreign aggression like Africa. By all metrics Russia has no reason to be this backwards. It could easily be among the biggest economies, far surpassing the US, but nah... That's what makes this ironic, shitting on other people while you're literally dying.

[–] pbbananaman 24 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Top 4 spending is social security, health, and Medicare: https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/federal-spending/

Don’t fall for bullshit pictures without something to back it up. We spend a lot of fucking money in the US on non-war shit (most) and people like me that care where their taxes go know this.

[–] K1nsey6 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Record homelessness, record income inequality, record people bankrupted by medical bills, record personal debt.

This country doesn't do shit for the working class other than throw them occasional stale bread crumbs

[–] pbbananaman 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Look, I’m just showing you raw data for how the money is spent. Argue what you want about the utility of that spent money but you can’t argue we spend more of defense than on our own people. 49% of our budget goes toward entitlement programs. I’d like to see what other highly regarded countries are spending as a percentage of yearly expenses - I doubt they extend much beyond 25-30%.

[–] AnxiousOtter 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

You're not making the argument you think you are. The fact that America is spending the most money on these programs but are still near the bottom in terms of actual benefits to citizens when ranked against other first world countries is a bad thing, not a good thing.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

We spend the most and receive the most. Probably to greedy lobbyists and administrators. I wanna see that money go to nurses and actual healthcare

[–] pbbananaman 1 points 2 months ago

I making the argument that the picture is stupid propaganda. The seed of truth is that we manage to have the world best military with only 13% of our budget expenditure.

[–] syreus -2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Your link says the US spent 874 Billion on National defense this year.

https://www.usaspending.gov/agency/department-of-defense?fy=2024

This link has a bit of a disparity. I'm too busy to figure out the difference now but maybe you can take a look.

[–] abysmalpoptart 8 points 2 months ago

Yeah and that is an incredible amount of money, but at 13% of the budget, that still puts it fifth place in terms of categorical spending.

[–] RangerJosie 12 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Was accurate then, its accurate now.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

Not accurate. The child doesn't look like swiss cheese.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

Eisenhower, 1961 farewell address

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

[–] Saeveo 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Eisenhower, FDR was long dead in 1961.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

I was tired and reading other things.

Corrected.

Thanks.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago
[–] RememberTheApollo_ 10 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Soviet? Why is the writing in English?

E: it’s legit. Writing was originally cyrillic and edited to english at some point.

[–] Asidonhopo 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Are the waiters supposed to be recognizable charicatures? I'm looking at that grey faced one in the back with the illegible insignia on his lapel, that's got to be someone a 1950s person would recognize, probably all of them as they're very distinctive.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

I think they’re meant to look just Jewish enough to appeal to antisemitic stereotypes about finance.

[–] DarkSpectrum 2 points 2 months ago

I suppose that places philosophy as a beggar on the street