Obama (split from Impeachment Hearings)

[iNow]

1 hour ago, YJ02 said:

If you are under attack in your house, are you still going to be concerned about preparing dinner?

A family household is an invalid comparison to a nation. The nation has millions of people who can focus on multiple objectives in parallel. It can both prepare for war and sell arms at the same time. I find your framing of the issue remedial and disagree with your implicit suggestion that the answer here can be split into either/or or some binary false dichotomy.

[MigL]

Arms exports by the Ukraine were 224 million in 2018, YJ02.
Down from 471 million in 2016.
And down from 1498 million in 2012.
( when did the Ukraine-Russia conflict start ??? )

https://tradingeconomics.com/ukraine/weapons-sales

Most sales under a billion are for a single contract ( yes arms are expensive )
The Ukraine doesn't have a single arms manufacturer ranked in the world's top 100, so I don't see where you get that it is a top arms exporter. Just Lockheed-Martin and Boeing together ( never mind Raytheon, Northrop-Grumman, L3, General Dynamics, etc. ) sell over 50 BILLION of arms per year.

Edited December 17, 2019 by MigL

[CharonY]

15 minutes ago, MigL said:

Arms exports by the Ukraine were 224 million in 2018, YJ02.
Down from 471 million in 2016.
And down from 1498 million in 2012.
( when did the Ukraine-Russia conflict start ??? )

https://tradingeconomics.com/ukraine/weapons-sales

Most sales under a billion are for a single contract ( yes arms are expensive )
The Ukraine doesn't have a single arms manufacturer ranked in the world's top 100, so I don't see where you get that it is a top arms exporter. Just Lockheed-Martin and Boeing together ( never mind Raytheon, Northrop-Grumman, L3, General Dynamics, etc. ) sell over 50 BILLION of arms per year.

Appreciate the info, MigL.

[YJ02]

3 hours ago, MigL said:

Arms exports by the Ukraine were 224 million in 2018, YJ02.
Down from 471 million in 2016.
And down from 1498 million in 2012.
( when did the Ukraine-Russia conflict start ??? )

https://tradingeconomics.com/ukraine/weapons-sales

Most sales under a billion are for a single contract ( yes arms are expensive )
The Ukraine doesn't have a single arms manufacturer ranked in the world's top 100, so I don't see where you get that it is a top arms exporter. Just Lockheed-Martin and Boeing together ( never mind Raytheon, Northrop-Grumman, L3, General Dynamics, etc. ) sell over 50 BILLION of arms per year.

I just see it has yet one more way our tax money is being spent on a nation that doesn't seem to know how to prioritize its issues.

crimea was invaded in 2014, the donbas revolt began shortly after

you really dont see any issue with Ukraine "helpless and desperate for western help" still shipping things like main battle tanks to thailand or any weapons any where else while the weapons the US and EU either paid for or physically donated to ukraine, are being used to equip their army?

we are giving a handout to a nation that has the means to defend itself from the limited war it is fighting. and if russia was ever serious about taking all of ukraine, no amount of aid we give would make difference

unless that has been the notion all along by Trump and the military-industrial complex- give just enough so that Ukraine feels safe but also enough to provoke Russia to feel threatened by our aid?

then the excuse will be at hand for deploying thousands of Americans and other nato troops to ukraine to die for someone else's fight in a war that will benefit no one but western arms manufacturers

glad i won't be on that trip

[MigL]

The US ( and Canada ) give aid to a lot of countries that don't need it.

But for specifically military aid, the US gives to several counties.
Off the top of my head, I can name Israel, South Korea and Taiwan ( on and off, depending on relations with China ).
The US also has bases all over Europe, the middle East and the far East. They are there for European protection and protection of S Korea Japan and Taiwan; the ones in the middle East are there to protect oil supplies ( am I being cynical ? )
Even Canada has troops ( and equipment/aid ) in Latvia as a deterrent to Russia.

Do they really need the military aid ?
Probably not.
Is it the right thing to do ?
I think so.