Date: October 12th, 2026 1:54 PM Author: Glassy hyperactive address
How did we get to the point where we have massively bloated federal spending, and 2/3 of it goes to healthcare, social security, and "income security"? And another 15% to interest on debt from all the previous deficit spending. There's pretty much no spending--as a percentage--on infrastructure, jobs (seperate from military and healthcare jobs), education, conservation, or anything else.
Federal Spending 2026:
Social Security and Income Security: 31%
Healthcare/Medicare: 28%
Veterans' Benefits and Services (i.e., the two above, but for vets): 6%
Interest on Debt: 15%
Defense: 13%
Everything else, which we spend so much time arguing about: 6%
Date: October 12th, 2026 2:51 PM Author: Glassy hyperactive address
That's a small part of this issue. Sure, it raises the cost of providing healthcare for the minority of citizens (and others) that receive USG-funded healthcare. But lack of national healthcare goes more to why healthcare is so expensive and why such a big portion GDP is spent on healthcare in the US--way out of proportion to every other country.
Date: October 12th, 2026 2:12 PM Author: Coiffed amethyst turdskin
and 1t for "Defense", 200b just for VA disability benefits (not total VA budget which is even more)
SS was dumb idea, it shld have been self funding accounts like Singapore or AUS. But at least it has a funding source, its just thats not payin in enough
Its far worse spending 1T a year on defense, and trump wants 1.5T now. And VA is total garbage. Medicaid is too since no funding source
And the interest on debt is mostly from all the benchod wars and defense spending
U really cld cut defense spending to 200b and be fine
Date: October 12th, 2026 2:53 PM Author: Fucking Fuckface
If we took the defense industry graft out of it, we'd get more than enough out of $100 billion. It could all be dedicated to drone technology advancement, nuclear miniaturization research, and missile delivery systems to ensure MAD, and a focused intelligence apparatus
That's it. We'd fucking prosper immediately, especially if we executed all the traitors and grifters who have defrauded us
Date: October 12th, 2026 2:59 PM Author: Fucking Fuckface
You realize that MAD and an armed populace does all the work as long as we stay abreast of nuclear delivery capability? We don't need a big standing army, bases around the world, or crazy disability fraud schemes if we have those things plus the ability to tell who is doing what around the world
Date: October 12th, 2026 2:55 PM Author: Glassy hyperactive address
Despite how unnecessarily high defense spending is, it pales in comparison to spending on entitlements. The amount spent on defense is less than the amount spent on interest (never mind paying the principle).
Despite the cost of SS, it's good to have a social safety net that individual's can't mess up themselves.
Date: October 12th, 2026 2:57 PM Author: Fucking Fuckface
Because of the allowable spend and corruption in the defense industry and budget, it enables everything else. We could easily fix healthcare if we came at it from a "no graft allowed" perspective
Date: October 13th, 2026 12:48 AM Author: Garnet Market
These social safety nets seem like they’re going to fail eventually, at least in Europe if not the US. France is facing a budget crisis right now. I feel like society might tear itself apart if “free” stuff gets cut off.
Good thing European countries haven’t taken in any migrants who have no real way to support themselves without government aid and have limited respect for the rule of law…