All the griping on this thread about government spending and being ashamed to be an American is misplaced on this thread. If it were a thread about worthless domestic spending, I'd be here in agreement with you.
Oh........and sorry about my 'noble rantings'. I actually love this country.
Sorry if that bothers you.
I agree. A lot of money is needed for defense now. Going into Afghanistan and Iraq were brilliant moves under the circumstances. Anyone who understands defense, geography, situations and intentions around the Middle East knows that. Although some people are ignorant of most of what they need to know in order to make any informed decision, many people are choosing sides and identity associations. Some are up-front about what they want, and others use straw men to argue while hiding their pet agendas.
Most leaders and peoples in the world now appear to believe that they should have very strong opinions about Israel, while Israel is a tiny speck on the map of the Middle East. The world political situation is getting exceedingly weird.