The uncool kid who tries to fit in but ends up making a fool of himself.
LMAO, dude, it started at a much lower amount before the new year, but as the months passed without any aid, the amount went up.
The latest bill was negotiated for months. It was a bipartisan bill giving the GOP lots of what they asked for, excluding stripping asylum claims, a non-starter for the Dems. The original House draft bill had zero support from the Dems. Nothing for Dreamers. It was tied to providing funding for Ukraine in exchange for immigration and border reforms.
The new bill proposed $14bn for US border security.
- 1,300 additional US Border Patrol agents,
- 1,600 new asylum officers
- 375 new judge teams.
- Triggers to cap the flow of migrant interactions,
- Giving the president ability to close the border completely.
Right, an election year where the country wants reform and action on the border. The Dems are in a position to need to make a deal. Not the other way around.
In this instance, no.
…and $60B for Ukraine border security…
The deal, which includes $60 billion for Ukraine, was negotiated over several months by Democrat Chris Murphy, Republican James Lankford and Independent Kyrsten Sinema. It also includes $20 billion for the border, $6 billion more than the Biden administration requested.
Of the just over $60 billion dedicated to helping Ukraine repel Russia’s invasion, it would send $48.4 billion to the Pentagon — much of it destined to be sent to U.S. companies.
Senate negotiators allocated just under $20 billion of that to purchase new weapons and equipment to refill U.S. military inventories depleted by the push to arm Ukraine. Another $13.8 billion is earmarked for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, a program in which the Pentagon buys new weapons for the Ukrainian military directly from U.S. defense contractors. Lawmakers also allocated $14.8 billion for heightened military presence in Europe as well as training and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
Even more money in the wider bill would be plowed into U.S. arms manufacturing, outside of Ukraine. Negotiators settled on $4.4 billion to replace weapons sent to Israel amid its war against Hamas in Gaza and $1.9 billion to restock arms bound for Taiwan with the aim of deterring an invasion by China.
Lawmakers also dedicated $3.3 billion to boost the U.S. submarine industrial base to meet the demands of the Navy and obligations under the AUKUS sub-manufacturing agreement the Biden administration struck with the UK and Australia.
@cigarmanstan This is how the left think they are being clever… Only cite the $14Bn for the US Border and make no mention of (~$50Bn) quadruple the amount made available for the Ukraine…
Point fingers at the Republicans and only talk about the part going to the US Border… Just as described in my post above…BillyBob try’s the same slight of hand…
Another $14Bn of US Taxpayer’s money that needs to wasted because the Biden Administration threw the Southern Border open to anyone and everyone…
America’s sticky inflation is just as much a Spending problem as it is a Debt problem… If you enjoy having the quality of life eroded for 332 Million US Citizens… By all means vote for Joe Biden…
The thing is, the money is not literally going to Ukraine, it’s going into a POT labelled ‘Ukraine’ but the agency or organization that does all that work, has their hand in said POT…
As @SmallPaul correctly states… Another Democrat scheme to relieve US Tax Payers of another ~$50Bn so the Pentagon can continue to fund the insatiable Military–industrial complex…
These posts display just how little some US Citizens understand…
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Bucko, this has been going on for years, both parties are involved
Military-Industrial Complex Clinches Nearly 450,000% Return on Investment
After Industry Gives $10 Million to Congressional Defense Committee Members, DOD Receives Potential $45 Billion Spending Increase
Every year, the defense industry donates millions of dollars to the campaigns of members of Congress, creating pressure on the legislative branch to fund specific weapons systems, maintain an extremely high Pentagon budget, and add ever more military spending. This upwards pressure is a constant, no matter what figure is requested by the president for the Pentagon, even though nearly 50% of the current Pentagon budget already goes to private contractors each year.
Members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees are especially targeted by defense contractors. These committee members determine the amount of money authorized for the Pentagon when the committee marks up the annual Pentagon policy bill, the National Defense Authorization Act.
Because of this critical position, the defense contractors pour money into the reelection campaigns of these members, creating a self-fulfilling feedback loop that many call the “military-industrial-Congressional complex.” This year, the armed services committees voted to increase the Pentagon budget beyond the President’s $813 billion request for the Pentagon for the coming fiscal year, a $31 billion increase from the previous fiscal year, by an additional $37.5 billion in the House and $45 billion in the Senate.
The analysis in this report shows that, in the current election cycle, the military-industrial complex gave $10.2 million to members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committee prior to their votes this June to increase overall defense spending for FY23. (See Table 1.) The report relies on campaign finance data from OpenSecrets.org and includes contributions from defense sector employees and PACs to lawmakers’ reelection campaigns and leadership PACs.
Table 1. Defense sector contributions to Armed Services Committee members who voted to increase defense spending, 2022 election cycle.
Military-Industrial Complex Clinches Nearly 450,000% Return on Investment - Public Citizen
I was specifically talking about what the GOP wanted. They obviously didn’t want the aid.
The US will always spend on the military. There are too many jobs involved to not spend. And too much manufacturing that wouldn’t happen without it.
Even if Trump was president/becomes president, he would have to ask for the same amount of money to get the same things done. Closing the border isn’t a longer term option. Stopping the flow of cheap labor doesn’t appear to be an option either.
But let’s play out Ukraine losing the war and Russia taking control of Ukraine. Let’s see. What happens? Russia moves troops and security infrastructure into Ukraine and Belarus. Europe does the same. NATO gets even more involved. More countries file for NATO inclusion. US spending on military aid gets even larger.
This is the cheaper option.
Or we could just do what Governor Abbott did in Texas, buy a hundred thousand dollars of razor wire,
proplem solved
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@BillyBobPimpton, @SmallPaul You two war mongers just don’t get it…
This Administration is Pissing your Tax Dollars up against the wall on someone else’s war… A war that didn’t even need to happen if the US had said no NATO to Eastern Europe’s latest US made Dictator Zelenskyy… Hundreds of Thousands being killed for nothing…
Bullshite… You keep telling yourself that… Your porous Southern Border is 100% a Biden Administration Democrat driven disaster… No where near as many illegals crossed during the Obama and Trump Administrations…
Once the Border is sealed the cost of processing and welfare for immigrants will plunge immediately… Aided by a gradual winding down of the enormous law enforcement required to patrol the shiteshow that is Biden’s open door…
Trump has sad repeatedly that he will end this war in the first week of his Presidency… An agreement with Putin about no NATO for Ukraine and this war will end…
You Americans have such short Memories… Russia got friendly with Cuba back in the 60’s… Placed some Russian hardware on Cuban soil… The Pentagon went nuts and invaded Guantanamo and bombed installations in Cuba… Nearly starting WW3…
And now clowns in this forum and the Biden Administration cannot understand why Russia is pissed at a NATO member… No doubt with US access hard up against it’s Western Border…
What is wrong with you people…???
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It never ends with this dude, lol
Zelenskyy to Trump: If you can really stop the war in 24 hours, ‘I invite you to Ukraine’
Ukrainian leader says Trump’s ‘dangerous’ claims raise concerns about his potential return to power
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he’s worried at the prospect of Donald Trump returning to the White House, branding Trump’s claim that he could stop Ukraine’s war with Russia in 24 hours as “very dangerous.”
In an interview with the U.K.'s Channel 4 News that aired Friday, Zelenskyy invited the former president and front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination to visit Kyiv, but only if Trump delivers on that promise.
“Donald Trump, I invite you to Ukraine, to Kyiv. If you can stop the war during 24 hours, I think it will be enough to come,” Zelenskyy said.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung did not respond to a message seeking comment Saturday.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-zelenskyy-ukraine-russia-1.7090119*emphasized text*
Ignore what Zelenskyy says… He’s become nothing more than a Dictator and a war monger like you two… Staying in power at all costs… On the US’s dime is his game…
Trump’s savvy enough not to fall for this BS… He’s not President… YET.
He holds no sway over US foreign policy… And no doubt Biden would be wheeled out to take all the accolades for the war ending under his term in office… You don’t think very hard…
At least Trump can pick up the phone and converse intelligently with Vladimir Putin… And had the balls and the cognitive ability to visit North Korea and put the Rocket Man in his place…
Sitting a bumbling, stumbling and mumbling Joe Biden in front of any anti US Dictator would just encourage silly ideas…
Enjoy your day
I’m not against physical protection of the border. It wouldn’t solve the issue completely. But I’m not against it.
That’s just silly. Crimea happened because NATO didn’t expand and Putin had no reasons not to do it. Russia is the aggressor. Perhaps you’ve forgotten that tiny fact.
Very easy to say sitting at home on your computer. I hazard to guess there are many Europeans and Russians with a different perspective.
Perhaps use critical thinking to take it a step further and determine why migrants are making the journey in the first place. They’re probably doing it because, Biden, or Obama, or maybe Hilary. The emails.
They’re not leaving their country behind simply because the border is open and unprotected.
Trump has said many things. I’m building a wall and Mexico is paying. I have a healthcare plan to replace ACA. Windmills cause cancer. Raking leaves stops forest fires. Injecting bleach will save us from COVID. Nuclear weapons can destroy hurricanes. All said by Trump.
Unfortunately, I wish ending the Ukraine war were that simple. But the US president doesn’t hold that power over NATO. I’m not sure he or you understand how NATO works.
And Trump is the least likely representative within NATO to float that idea and get it approved by majority of NATO member countries. You remember why. He sided with Russia against his entire intelligence community in Helsinki. And he drew up plans to abandon NATO in 2018, only deciding against it because he was convinced it would make him look bad.
“Russian hardware”. You mean nuclear weapons within 100 miles of US soil.
This “fear” is so laughable. We have strategic bombers in the skies. Nuclear submarines all over the planet. ICBMs we can launch from the US. Allies closer to Moscow with similar weapons. Cyber warfare.
Putin invading Ukraine is purely a selfish goal, a vanity play to return Russia to some position of former glory. You’re kidding yourself if you believe it’s “because NATO expansion”.
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Putin was asked by David Frost in 2000
“Is it possible Russia could join NATO?”
The answer:
I don’t see why not
Then came the caveat with the next sentence:
but I repeat - if and when Russia’s views are taken into account as those of an equal partner. I want to stress this again and again…
Frost had began with reminding viewers that “15 years previous "the Soviet Union was an undisputed super power”
With hindsight perhaps not the best way to introduce the soon to be elected Pres of Russia
Anyways there are those who believe that Putin wishes to return to those days of the superpower, indeed Frost mentioned this in his 1st question to Putin where he notes
I started by asking him about his stated determination to make Russia strong again, was this, as some have feared, an indication of a throwback to the days of the Cold War?
His answer in part:
My position is that our country should be a strong, powerful state, a capable state, effective, in which both its citizens of the Russian Federation and all those who want to co-operate with Russia could feel comfortable, could feel protected, could always feel in their own shoes - if you will allow the expression - psychologically, morally. But that has nothing to do with aggression.
Frost asked specifically his view re Nato
Do you see NATO as a potential partner, or a rival or an enemy?
Russia is part of the European culture. And I cannot imagine my own country in isolation from Europe and what we often call the civilised world. So it is hard for me to visualise NATO as an enemy.
He even thought the question itself was “capable of causing damage”
Interesting interview during the Chechnya conflict - much has changed in East/West relations since that time.
(Transcripts from “BBC Breakfast with Frost” year 2000)
Edit -
it’s a long read here is a link to the transcript
news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/audio_video/programmes/breakfast_with_frost/transcripts/putin5.mar.txt
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@BillyBobPimpton Seems even easier sitting at home on your computer allowing hundreds of thousands to die… A whole generation of Ukrainians wiped out, and a country being destroyed…
President Zelenskyy may be on the right side of history… With nothing left to Preside over…
Clever Nations don’t get into wars that they could possibly lose… Oh… Except the US… Vietnam… Korea… Afghanistan… Just to name a few…
No matter which way you try to spin it… This is an inconvenient fact for those on the left side of Politics… A fact none the less…
Zelenskyy had the opportunity to end this war back in April 2022 during peace discussions with the Russians… Instead another Western Leader who’s people weren’t being killed told Zelenskyy to continue the bloodshed at all costs…
Have a read… You’ll have a better understanding of what happens outside of your own border…
Ahhh… So only you understand how NATO works… The sheer arrogance of those on the Left…
Russian Nuclear Submarines, Intercontinental Bomber Aircraft and ICBM’s where all in existence BillyBob… Even in the 1960’s… So why why did the US panic?..
You obviously have resigned your world view to identity politics… Orange Man Bad… I have stated many times in this thread (which you obviously haven’t read) that Trump is an arrogant womanising buffoon…
But he is a buffoon that is better for America than the lame duck President you have in the Oval Office at the moment… A President that is complicit in damaging the US Economy with unsustainable illegal immigration and unprecedented spending…
The US cannot house many of it’s own citizens or maintain it’s own Southern Border… Yet prefers to spend Billions on helping close the Ukrainian border… Isn’t that NATO’s job?.. The NATO that Trump tried to get to pay for their own localised security… That’s right another inconvenient fact!!
You have to open your eyes at some point and see what is happening in the UK and greater Europe to understand the dangerous trajectory that the United States is on…
Another Biden Administration takes you down range of the same destructive path…
all solutions I see coming from both reps and dems call for a huge expansion of government, in other words, they both just want to throw money at the problem.
That in my book is unexceptable
When the USSR folded, there was much debate if NATO was even needed any longer, those who profit from NATO remaining in place needed a new boogie man, and Russia/Putin is that boogie man
It is all about the Military Industrial Complex
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The issue for the United States it is one of the largest funders of the NATO Alliance… America can’t even look after itself properly under this Administration and is wasting 3.5% of it’s massive GDP on Europe…
Donald Trump has regularly criticised members in Europe for not spending enough to support the alliance, relying on the US to shoulder the burden… Only to have citizens suffering from a scorching case of TDS to go nuts…
American citizens are mugs if they continue allow 3.5% of their prosperity to go to an Alliance that is not even trying to fund itself…
All myths need a Devil… If it wasn’t the US’s usual Devil Russia… It would be the Dragon China…
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Hmmm… from what I remember Gorbachev’s perestroika was the lifting of the USSR as a perceived threat to Western democracies.
The emphasis on political restructuring away from the old Communist model - that coupled with Glasnost & associated freedoms for citizens meant the USSR’s model was a contrast from what had gone before.
It didn’t mean the world had rid itself of ‘bogey men’ - far from it.
I can imagine what the world may well have experienced if NATO had decided that military defence was no longer needed & dismantled it’s armies/navies/air forces.
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