Should a country invest in its military or people?

[robocop666]

USA and Switzerland don't have public health systems. It's the most expensive places on earth to go to hospital in these two countries. They pay the same taxes as everyone else worldwide. All the tax money goes to the military.

[northerngal]

You can do both. Canada has a public health care system and a military. Now the military is small and underfunded but it and tries its best. Every society has to make choices. In a way the US military is its welfare system... it does give people from underprivileged backgrounds a chance in life to get a job and education and skills.

[BuckCannon]

Remember when Canada needed a balloon shot down? Who did they call to do it?

[northerngal]

Canada is part of NORAD... they did not have to call anyone. But I have a friend who was a Marine in Afghanistan and he always felt better and safe when he had a Canadian unit protecting his flanks. Canada does more with less... always have since the 1950s

[BuckCannon]

Who shot down the balloon?

[Anonymous]

The strength of the US military benefits the entire free world. Without it, dictators like Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping would rule the world and it would suck for literally everyone but the elites in those countries.

It's crazy to me how few western people realize how good they have it, and why.

[robocop666]

Russians like Putin

[Opinion Owner]

What's your point?

And no, most Russians are very unhappy with Putin today, and for good reason.

[robocop666]

isn't public opinion high out there?

[Opinion Owner]

Out where?

[robocop666]

in Russia

[genericname85]

well have you ever wondered why the swiss were never forced to take part in a war? cause nobody dares to fuck with them. that's why. and not being fucked over by wars pays out fot hat society, cause they're doing very well for themself over there even without a massive wellfare state.

[Soteris]

More like no one cares about anything the Swizz has enough to bother invading a mountain to get up to it. It is not a particularly valuable territory and those who would want it would just use it as a barrier anyways which the Swizz already accomplishes without having to invade them.

What countries historically look for in a conquered territory is either key resources, which Switzerland does not have, a large population, which again Switzerland does not have, or a large flat terrain with loads of rivers that can be used for large scale farming and navigation. Switzerland is like the opposite of everything a hostile country would want to conquer.

[genericname85]

nope. more like switzerland has an incredibly difficult to conquer mountainous terrain. there has been historical accounts at failed attacks. the swiss never lost a war. so it is absolutely 100% not that nobody cares.

[Soteris]

Difficult to conquer in military terms just means expensive. Hard problems can be solved with more applications of force and if any of its neighbors actually felt like it then they could comfortably crush Switzerland. Also Switzerland has lost 3 out of 6 wars since its independence in 1802 and they were all coalition wars rather than wars aimed at Switzerland in particular because again, no one cares about Switzerland.

[Exterminatore]

Both.


On the subject of public health care in the US I’m divided. On one hand I think it’s outrageous a person could literally go broke over health problems. I view health care as a human right.


On the other hand I have 0 trust in our government. Look what they managed to do to the social security system. Do I trust the nations health care in their hands? Absolutely not. They’ll ruin that too.

[BuckCannon]

America should invest heavily in its military and healthcare. But we should also abandon our 800 military bases around the world, and just let the chips fall where they may. Screw Ukraine.

[robocop666]

how much money does the USA, NATO and the EU give Ukraine annually?

[BuckCannon]

America has pissed away about 100 billion. I'm sure the other two haven't given shit.

[robocop666]

no they gave plenty. The EU gives an annual amount a month. Countries like Ireland joined being promised to keep their neutrality and foreign policy. now we pay for OTHER PEOPLES WARS.

[BuckCannon]

How much has YOUR country given to Ukraine?

[robocop666]

I dunno EU gives an annual amount of millions a month. Ireland pays a share of that.

[BuckCannon]

Do you have a point to these questions?

[DryGermanGuy]

Uhm... in Switzerland everybody has health insurance (mandated by law) and the insurance premium is rather low! As are they consumer end prices for drugs and cures.

[Drewtate]

Both have militaries yet both are being invaded

[Anonymous]

There won't be any people if there was no military

But yes, there must be a balance in the investment

[robocop666]

I am Irish. We were hammered 2 times in a war and had a genocide. We need defence. Maybe peopel having guns at home would be cheaper than a military.

[Opinion Owner]

I get you
But untrained people with guns can't substitute military though

[robocop666]

good point. But its gonna be pretty hard to conquer a whole country where everyone is armed with guns.