Phanerothyme Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 I hear that the Bush administration wants, and will probably get, $550 billion dollars this year. (350 billion quid). That is roughly the same amount as the entire GDP of China. Adjusted for inflation, this is the largest defence budget ever, larger even than when the US and NATO faced the evil empire poised with tens of thousands of tanks ready to roll accross europe, not to mention squillions of US and Soviet nukes ready to send us into an atomic holocaust, Biochem Weapons Development, and hundreds of thousands of troops going on exercise the entire time in Central Europe.. Does this strike anyone as odd? Or in any way alarming? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent Dan Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Alarming, yes. Surprising, no. I just don't feel that mr bush has any concern for anyone else other than himself sometimes... and i still remember the chill the crossed my soul when he was voted in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 It's worth pointing out that the american billion is different to our billion, and not sure which ones those figures are using, but even so it's a fair amount of money. It'd be interesting to compare this budget with their (non-corporate) welfare budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Mike, our billions are both the same these days. At one point our billion was a million-million (or something crazy) but we are now on the international system which means a billion is 1,000 million both here and in the US of A. Defence Budgets... USA: $401bn Russia: $65bn (2001 figures) China: $47bn (2001 figures) Japan: $42.6bn UK: $38.4bn Source: US Centre for Defense Information http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3234960.stm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Well, you learn something every day - I still thought we were on different billions - when did that change? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Originally posted by Mike Well, you learn something every day - I still thought we were on different billions - when did that change? I asked the same question here: Where have our billions gone? and the silence was deafening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomme Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Originally posted by max I asked the same question here: Where have our billions gone? and the silence was deafening. Oh max, you should be ashamed: " In 1974 British prime minister Harold Wilson abandoned the use of billion for 10^12, by explaining before the House of Commons the fact that "billion" from now on in British government statistics has the American use i.e. means 10^9." Actually the answer appears to be 'recently', and not necessarily universally. For more information than you probaby want: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billion Nomme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Originally posted by nomme Oh max, you should be ashamed: Why should I be ashamed? If you're implying that I should remember then I'd like to point out that I spent a lot of 1974 in NZ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 1974 I really should know that then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodge Posted November 28, 2003 Share Posted November 28, 2003 It pains me to know that governments are prepared and willing to spend billions on destroying lives, and a fraction of that on saving them. Where did it all go wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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