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PlanetaryOrbit

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Member since: Wed Aug 28, 2013, 11:04 PM
Number of posts: 155

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Why does the Obama administration have $500 billion defense budgets?



Is it for the sake of appearing strong on national defense, to thwart a perception that Democrats are weaker on national security than Republicans?


Is it because the administration genuinely believes that such military expenditures are necessary? (In other words, it's not because of right-wing pressure?)


Is it because the administration can't make significant cuts to the military budget, because Congress wouldn't agree to it?





I'm asking for serious, non-snarky answers. I'm genuinely puzzled.
Posted by PlanetaryOrbit | Fri Oct 11, 2013, 01:30 AM (36 replies)

A layman question about economics and inflation

Is inflation supposed to just go up gradually, forever (assuming no huge changes such as war, major disaster, economic collapse, etc.)?


Does this mean that some day far off into the future, we're going to see gasoline at $30 a gallon, bread at $20 a loaf, a pair of shoes for $200, etc.?


(Income/wages obviously being higher as well).
Posted by PlanetaryOrbit | Thu Sep 19, 2013, 01:15 AM (7 replies)

Conservatives using the "Asian-Americans are successful" argument

I've noticed that some conservatives in recent years have been trying to use the success of Asian-Americans as an argument in favor of conservatism. Usually the argument goes something like this:

"Asian-Americans are a racial minority, yet they are successful, more so than African-Americans or Hispanics. Therefore, 1) Asian-Americans work hard and therefore succeed, and 2) African-Americans and Hispanics don't work hard and therefore don't succeed, therefore it's about diligence vs. laziness, not about race or circumstances, blah blah blah blah blah."

Without diminishing the success that Asian-Americans have had, or the discrimination that they've faced, how exactly does one go about debunking this sort of logic?
Posted by PlanetaryOrbit | Wed Sep 11, 2013, 07:05 PM (28 replies)

What was the last presidential administration to not undertake major military action?

Military action has taken place in almost every recent U.S. presidential administration I can recall:


Obama - Drone strikes, military operation in Libya against Gaddafi

Bush II - war in Afghanistan, war in Iraq

Clinton - military operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, and also the cruise missile strikes on Afghan and Sudan targets

Bush I - military operation in Panama, and the Gulf War

Reagan - Grenada, airstrike against Libya





So, what was the last presidential administration to not undertake major military action? Carter? Ford?


Operation Eagle Claw (to rescue the American hostages in Iran) did take place under Carter's administration, but that was a justified military action in my opinion.
Posted by PlanetaryOrbit | Tue Sep 10, 2013, 09:42 PM (13 replies)
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