# Should the US charge for our military protection **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 3, 2016, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503 "2016-11-03T04:37:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503/21 "2016-11-03T20:40:06Z")
It already benefits us or we wouldn’t be doing it. Whether the foreign country gets anything out of it is beside the point. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503/22 "2016-11-03T20:40:46Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > But however will billions of dollars get in the larders of General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and Boeing if we allow China to take over US military efforts?? /s That’s right, defense spending is always about fattening those pockets. Never about anything meaningful. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503/23 "2016-11-03T21:17:43Z")
Certainly not never, but also certainly sometimes. Why do you think we had a navy base in Orlando, 65 miles from the coast? It’s not like that is [an isolated occurrence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Navy_installations) either. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503/24 "2016-11-03T21:29:39Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > That’s right, defense spending is always about fattening those pockets. Never about anything meaningful. :rolleyes: Everything has meaning, what are you talking about? Meaningful how? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503/25 "2016-11-04T02:46:05Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > To give a specific example, the United States spent $5,500,000,000 last year on our military forces stationed in Japan. Japan then paid us $4,000,000,000 that was applied to those expenses. It’s actually cheaper for the United States to station troops in Japan than it is to station them in the United States. Do you have a cite for that? It seems like a worthwhile fact to have available. Danke. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503/26 "2016-11-04T02:49:10Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Certainly not never, but also certainly sometimes. Why do you think we had a navy base in Orlando, 65 miles from the coast? It’s not like that is [an isolated occurrence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Navy_installations) either. Global warming. _Someone_ believes. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503/27 "2016-11-04T17:55:01Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Certainly not never, but also certainly sometimes. Why do you think we had a navy base in Orlando, 65 miles from the coast? It’s not like that is [an isolated occurrence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Navy_installations) either. > [@running\_coach](#): > > Global warming. _Someone_ believes. 😃 When I was USAF back in the heyday of the Soviet Union I was stationed in Phoenix for awhile and dated a USN officer also stationed there. When I’d introduce her to people they’d often ask what the Navy was doing in Phoenix. She’d say “Seen any Commie subs around here recently?” “Well, no, not really.” “Doin’ a heck of a job aren’t I?” 🙂 She was actually a recruiter not a desert sub hunter. Though her mad ASW skillz were enough to prevent any unwanted pregnancies 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503/28 "2016-11-04T18:02:30Z")
> [@Me\_Billy](#): > > Our current credit card bill… > **$18,152,809,942,589.00** Dude, you should call and ask them to lower your limit! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503/29 "2016-11-04T18:20:56Z")
Naaah. If you’re gonna walk on a debt, make it a doozie! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503/30 "2016-11-04T18:56:49Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Naaah. If you’re gonna walk on a debt, make it a doozie! [spoiler] So, there’s this couple I know who are in a horrible financial situation. Their mortgage is way past due, they got a cash advance on one credit card to pay the minimum due on two others, utilities are constantly being shut off or restarted, meals are coming from a local food-bank, etc. I ran into them recently and it looks like everything is fixed! They told me they are going on a vacation soon, for the first time in years. They bought me a few beers so that we could do toasts to “good times”. Curious, I asked how they were able to turn everything around so quickly (I assumed a lottery win or some massive inheritance). Nope. They’re giving up. They are going to file bankruptcy and walk away from the house. But now that they’ve made the decision they have _all sorts of cash_ since they are no longer struggling to pay their creditors and bills. I truly don’t get it. [/spoiler] /hijack ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503/31 "2016-11-04T19:29:27Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > That’s right, defense spending is always about fattening those pockets. Mostly, yes. We certainly don’t need to spend [half the world’s military budget](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Top_ten_military_expenditures_in_US$_Bn._in_2014,_according_to_the_International_Institute_for_Strategic_Studies.PNG) for _defense._ ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503/32 "2016-11-04T19:38:52Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > … > They are going to file bankruptcy and walk away from the house. But now that they’ve made the decision they have _all sorts of cash_ since they are no longer struggling to pay their creditors and bills. I truly don’t get it. > … Don’t get the morals or don’t get the economics? If the latter … They’re now trying to spend every bit of their savings so it won’t go down the bankruptcy black hole. They will be surprised to learn the Court and creditors have both heard of that trick and one of the debts they’ll be left with is replenishing the extra money they wasted on the vacation, your beers, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503/33 "2016-11-04T19:53:24Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > [spoiler] So, there’s this couple I know who are in a horrible financial situation. Their mortgage is way past due, they got a cash advance on one credit card to pay the minimum due on two others, utilities are constantly being shut off or restarted, meals are coming from a local food-bank, etc. > > I ran into them recently and it looks like everything is fixed! They told me they are going on a vacation soon, for the first time in years. They bought me a few beers so that we could do toasts to “good times”. > > Curious, I asked how they were able to turn everything around so quickly (I assumed a lottery win or some massive inheritance). > > Nope. They’re giving up. They are going to file bankruptcy and walk away from the house. But now that they’ve made the decision they have _all sorts of cash_ since they are no longer struggling to pay their creditors and bills. I truly don’t get it. [/spoiler] > > /hijack It’s what companies do every day and they consider it a good business decision - many even get a tax break for it; it allows them to restructure and start over; your friends have found a way to enjoy their life. Why hold people to a higher standard when they don’t get nearly the benefits and it can destroy them from the inside out? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503/34 "2016-11-04T19:55:14Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Don’t get the morals or don’t get the economics? No, mostly the morals. That and how they can be open and cheerful about what they are doing. I’ve been in debt. I worked my way out. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503/35 "2016-11-04T20:11:16Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > No, mostly the morals. That and how they can be open and cheerful about what they are doing. I’ve been in debt. I worked my way out. The very moment I declared my bankruptcy, my attorney told me to stop paying anything on any of my debts. That is standard procedure. So yeah, suddenly I had a bit of money instead of drowning. I ate well for the first time in long time where I paid for it. I was happy and cheerful because this huge fucking depressing weight was lifted off of me and I could see a way out. There’s a huge difference between troublesome debt and 'I can never hope to get out from under this" debt, which very quickly becomes soul crushing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-the-us-charge-for-our-military-protection/770503.md?page=1)