this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2023
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A Boring Dystopia
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Financially the US is gaining from it all, like she is from the Ukraine war. The point is good, but Israel buying weapons systems from the US means less potholes.
They aren't being bought. It's being freely given. All profits go to weapons manufacturers.
Using "freely given" and "profits" in the same sentence should've set alarms as to how the issue might be more complex than just who buys what from who.
You are wrong and a simple research into the subject reveals how.
jfc i was hoping you weren't gonna choose to be an idiotic pedant but here we are.
the us government signs incredibly expensive contracts with weapons manufacturers. aka "buys weapons." then gives those weapons to its allies. https://www.vox.com/world/2022/12/16/23507640/dc-party-invite-military-contractors-money-ukraine-russia-war-us
wtf do you think these votes in the senate about giving military aid mean? the idea that paying defense contractors to replenish our arsenal is somehow funding local infrastructure is utterly deranged.
edit, to be clear, im not saying that supplying our allies is wrong (well, at this point it might be wrong in israel's case. certainly not in ukraine's though). I'm just saying that your earlier statement about the wars making money for the US is wrong. Some US companies are making money, but only because it's being spent by the US government. Not a positive for the rest of us.
I only know about the "ink printer" or "Gillette" aspect of the aid contracts. How does the money get back to fixing potholes? You mean through taxes on the consumables?
He's a liar who has no idea what he's talking about. "Do your own research" style moron. I'm sure his dad works at Nintendo.
Please don't waste both of our time by replying to comments you have not read.
Good lord you're infuriatingly stupid. That isn't at all the subject of the article I linked, and you didn't even read my comment!? "The game of define words" is a game YOU played, not me, moron, by conflating 2 sentences about "freely given" and "profits" without thinking for even a fraction of a second about WHO the weapons are being given to, and WHO is making the profits!
Enough with the "do your own research" bullshit. Either explain yourself or fuck off.
I have explained myself. I don't see a reason to hold your hand and explain things that are beyond your comprehension to you, when I can just ask you to research before having an opinion on a subject you know nothing of. Personally I think you have all the rights in the world to be as wrong as you want, but I will of course call you out on it. Being misinformed unfortunately seems to be fashionable and it's either that or plain laziness to research into it that makes you wrong.
The bread and butter of the US Military Industrial Complex is selling weapons/platforms/systems to other governments. Yes, US contractors can't just directly sell weapons/etc to other countries (without express permission/case by case basis).
What the person you replied to said is accurate: The US is giving these weapons to Ukraine "for free" (i.e. nothing is ever truly free, Ukraine will end up paying for it one way or another if they come out victorious in the end). However, the DoD is still paying the defense contractors who manufacturer these weapons (unless it's ammunition and certain types of munitions, which the DoD actually makes themselves).
Regardless, I agree that it is a bit complex, but not that complex. The US Military Industrial Complex is well documented and proven, not sure why you're acting like the US being the world's largest arms dealer isn't what it is.
Yay, definitions game again!
Actually the US is actively gaining money from the aid, as the inevitable decommissioning the ancient weapons systems sent to Ukraine is many times more expensive than just sending it over. You are right, it's not that complex, but it appears as if it's that complex for lemmies to understand.
Let me know what I'm "acting" as. For all I know, I responded to the meme to let everyone know that technically the US profiting off of these crisis, despite what some people think when "1 billion weapons system sent to X" hits the headlines with no context as to how the business around it works.
Please stop responding to comments if you don't know what you are talking about. Thank you for reading and please educate yourself.
I literally have colleagues working the Ukraine program within the Army. But whatever, I'm sure the people actively working all of those packages have no idea what the fuck they're talking about.
Anyway, I responded politely and you responded like a complete asshat, so I'll no longer continue this conversation. Maybe grow up and act like an adult rather than pretend to be some sort of expert with zero sources to back up any of your claims (I didn't ask for any, but I see in other comments here when others pressed for them, you instead responded with equal rudeness and incompetence).
Sure buddy.
You responded with some misinformation and I corrected those parts for you, like I have corrected those who commented before you and this meme itself.
You can either get emotional about it or thank me for clarifying these things for you, but I see you've already made your choice.
Again, you didn't dispel any misinformation because you've provided zero sources. Here:
https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3154210/department-moves-quick-to-replenish-weapons-sent-to-ukraine/
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/u-s-to-send-250-million-in-weapons-and-ammunition-to-ukraine
Where in either of those articles, each a year apart, does it say anything about us sending Ukraine weapons/supplies that are "ancient"? Much of it was purchased brand new, as well as from existing stocks straight from active military units' inventories.
Above is a quote past me made about your comment. Replace 1 billion with 250 million and X with Ukraine, it's almost insane how well I can read into you.
...do you expect US to send their best tech to the front for russians to capture? Really the only doctrinal weapons system (not weapon, weapons system, there is a reason I've been specific about it) is the Patriot system and himars - to an extent - and they're not seeing the front.
And do you expect US to specifically make sure they let everyone know this weapons system they're sending over is actual fucking 0/5 vietnam-era trash?
I've told you to do research before commenting any further and I'm not seeing it. Be better than that, you are an embarrassment.
And yet again, provides zero sources and just talks out of their ass.
Have a good one, loser.
I'm just gonna rehash my old comment;
You're a fucking idiot. "Here's my old comment that says absolutely nothing meaningful and baits people when asked to provide a source."
Lazy troll bait, I should've known better.