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AIBU?

To not understand why we are cutting social care but can afford a war?

70 replies

Destinysdaughter · 09/12/2015 18:14

Was just watching on the news about massive cuts in social care and it's seen as the only way to reduce the defecit bla bla but if that is really the case his can we afford to spend millions bombing Syria???

I may be naive but why is there money for killing people but not for caring for people..?

OP posts:

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Destinysdaughter · 09/12/2015 18:15

how not his.

OP posts:

TaliZorah · 09/12/2015 18:15

YANBU.

The answer is because the cuntservatives are in and get off on warmongering and depriving the poor

Cutecat78 · 09/12/2015 18:15

Because it's totally different budgets.

Loftsequin · 09/12/2015 18:16

Yes, there were no wars when labour were in, of course.

TalkinPeace · 09/12/2015 18:18

Because the Military Industrial complex has got its talons into everything.

In the USA there are cuts everywhere but not for the armed forces
in the UK there are cuts everywhere but Trident will be renewed

the arms companies profit from war and death and destruction

we sell arms to Saudi which end up in the hands of ISIS

arms companies keep selling machine guns over the counter in the USA

but arms companies fund politicians

hatters · 09/12/2015 18:18

So cut the war budget and boost the social budget!

TaliZorah · 09/12/2015 18:18

They weren't doing it while royally fucking over the disabled and the young though loft were they.

SlaggyIsland · 09/12/2015 18:19

Quite.
I don't think totally different budgets is much of an excuse - if they are so keen to reduce the (ever growing) deficit they can just as easily take it out of military spending as welfare.
But of course they wouldn't want to piss off their chums in the arms industry.
Far easier to shit all over the poor and the vulnerable.

Cutecat78 · 09/12/2015 18:19

It's not a "war" budget it's a defence budget.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 09/12/2015 18:19

Off the top of my head:- war is immediate and needs addressing, it's dictated by outside influences.

And there are different budgets for different departments.

TaliZorah · 09/12/2015 18:19

Exactly slaggy

citybushisland · 09/12/2015 18:20

Because it's totally different budgets.

Allegedly the country is broke, completely, if however there is enough to 'go to war' then maybe a little more thought should have gone into it. This military action has no after plan, just like the mess that is Libiya, 14 other countries are already involved, our intervention is not necessary. Decent welfare however is, sadly Dave wants to be Churchill.

hatters · 09/12/2015 18:21

I was using the OP's terminology. Since it's bombing Syria that's the biggest point of contention right now, I think most people don't really feel that has a lot to do with defence. Even if that's how it's labelled.

Cutecat78 · 09/12/2015 18:21

I work for under one budget and OH works for the other.

Nothing is that simple - there are massive cuts in the forces too - and whether people like it or not we have to be prepared should be attacked or need to invade (not condoning Syria), but it's not easy working in social care right now either.

anotherdayanothersquabble · 09/12/2015 18:21

Because those who stand to benefit from social care do not have the funds to pay for analysts and lobbyist to convince the government that social care is necessary, unlike the defence contractors and weapons manufacturers.

Sharoncatastrophe · 09/12/2015 18:22

Cameron has actually massively under invested in the military and we're seen as a weaker ally because of it.

However whilst different budgets sounds a bit cold, you can't just do one thing can you? Not defend this country or other nations countless but have an amazing social care system. Where does it end? No investment in culture, foreign aid, prisons? You can make an argument to stop spending on pretty much everything

BlueMoonRising · 09/12/2015 18:22

It's unlikely to be a coincidence that the UKs first bombing target was 'oil fields'.

Cutecat78 · 09/12/2015 18:22

You could argue about the cost to the LA of taking a child into care and the reasons behind that and how that crippled SC budgets.

TalkinPeace · 09/12/2015 18:23

cutecat
Because it's totally different budgets.
But virements between budgets are standard in all levels of Government.

PausingFlatly · 09/12/2015 18:23

I read somewhere a comment to the effect that governments are not too bothered if their citizens die, even in quite large numbers.

But they get terribly upset if Someone Else kills a citizen.

Explains a lot.

Nataleejah · 09/12/2015 18:24

Someone posted this on facebook -- lets drop Cameron on Syria

Theoretician · 09/12/2015 18:24

To be fair, war defence is a core function of government, and social spending is just a nice-to-have, which can be funded or not according to the voters preferences. In most countries it's not the governments job to fund social care.

Sallyingforth · 09/12/2015 18:24

Unfortunately OP we don't have the option to ignore the terrorists. They are determined to destroy our way of life. You can see the sort of social care they give in the territory they have already occupied.
Whether the bombing is the best way of dealing with them is another question.

PausingFlatly · 09/12/2015 18:27

BTW, "somewhere" was the LRB, in a review of a book about some historical USA event. But it struck me as nail on head.

It keeps coming back to me when there's a question like the OP.

Destinysdaughter · 09/12/2015 18:28

A 'nice to have'? Wow that's cynical. WTF is the point of a Government ( actually what is the point?) if it's not to care for the citizens and use taxpayers money to care for people that need it...? Which will be many of us at some point in our lives.

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