Ted Rall for April 13, 2022

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Mirriam-Webster:

_ broadly : the extension or imposition of power, authority, or influence … as the Hollywood movies had already proved, American cultural imperialism was not only too big to fight, it was too seductive to ignore. — Clive James

I do get it. America is dismal when it comes to domestic societal safety nets compared to some countries in Europe. There is no lack of funding, trillions in fact, for essentially useless middle east wars (Iraq, the 20 yr. Slog in Afghanistan). Even though there was some temporary improvement in the lives of women. I would say supplying Ukraine against brutal and barbaric Russian aggression is money better spent, but still begs the question why so much money, and more is appropriated regularly, to continue to grow a military larger than the next 20 nations combined? Especially since the everyday lives of citizens suck in so many ways.

Good to hear from Moscow.

The more we spend on arming Ukraine, the longer Ukrainians and Russians will go on dying for our benefit. Who can possibly object to that state of affairs?

Back during the Vietnam War era, humorist Art Buchwald once suggested the U.S. could essentially save money if, instead of spending it fighting the Viet Cong, we offer each of them $25,000, a nice house in some American suburb, a job, and free education for their children. Unfortunately, government officials thought he was joking and just laughed at him.

But now we might reconsider the wisdom of Buchwald’s idea, and try that with the poor Russian conscripts and luckless mercenaries in Ukraine. Add a free lifetime supply of vodka and sausage, and free Internet, and it could be a done deal with them. It would be a lot easier than the pillage and rape they’re doing now. (—

Imperialism, whatever that means anymore (government, economic, social, existential?) would never feel so good. And there might be even enough left over for our Homeless. (—

Those client states aren’t going to pay for themselves.

What Ted proposes is way too logical and pragmatic. The bureaucracy in Washington does not see how spending to help the most underprivileged members of society a chance to better their quality of life does not provide enough incentive or profit to get the establishment politicians on board with such an initiative. This includes a significant majority in both major parties, though one does have a minority voice of progressives who demand change. Also lobbyists want their slice of the pie as well and many of these individuals are former members of congress who can twist arms on the Hill.

Granted, the situation in the Ukraine is dire buy what about our decaying infrastructure, inadequate medical care, mediocre public education, rising rents and stagnant wages, social injustice, a bloated and rigged criminal justice/corrections complex among numerous other domestic economic and social issues which congress refuses to address. It is all about the coin, making those who pull the strings of the big players in both major parties continue to get richer while our society continues to decay.

Helping those who suffer in the US who suffer from poverty and/or homelessness will not benefit enough of the power brokers to ever get more than a few speeches from the left and dead amendments provided by the few progressives who truly care for the citizens they represent. Good strip today Ted!

I’ve both volunteered and actually worked for a couple organizations that work with the homeless. No, giving $25k to each homeless person would not solve a damn thing. In fact, it would make things worse.

Yes, Ted Rall. We are spending that $13.5 billion specifically to kill your Russian Communist buddies who are busy massacering innocent women and children. Bone appitite!

Grea toon, Ted! Food for thought.

Giving $25,000 to a homeless person might help a few of them but unless it’s administered and given as an incentive to get off their feet, get cleaned up, get a job, and provide a temporary place to live until they are established, it’s a waste of taxpayer money. You can’t help people who don’t want to be helped. Giving needles, actual drugs, etc. is of no help to an addict. They need to be cleaned up and they must want to do it or it’s never going to work.

This cartoon is nonsense. US is not sending aid to Ukraine for conquest. It is for defense. And yes, US needs better domestic policy. Both are needed. Not an “or” type of question.

Bit of a stretch. 1) no one claims caring for homeless is imperialism. 2) Russia is the imperialist in this situation, the US is fighting it. Go back to the drawing board. Or don’t.

No, ‘Imperialism’ is packing the court with pre-vetted (via Federalist Society) right-wingers and marching in lockstep to derail Biden’s nomination, but especially poisonous was Corrupt Mitch’s outright theft of O’bama’s nomination of Garland.Surely Teddy was outraged enough by that treasonous act to have scribbled a screed about it.Wasn’t he?

Can’t necessarily disagree.

The homeless in america have some of the best bridges to sleep under. Besides, 25K to a homeless person will mostly support the illicit drug market while 13.5 billion will employ thousands of workers and make the armament industry even richer. Seems like a no brainer decision….. */S

Putin doesn’t want to kill everyone. Only those he defines as Nazis, which are people who believe they are Ukrainian and not Russian.

Putin is in the latter stages of killing democracy.

Republicans are only in the early stages — taking contol of media, [corruption, bribery, kompromat], manipulating elections and election laws, establishing oligarchs, etc. Watching Putin go about his business is very instructive to them. They learn their lessons well and apply them.

I’ve posted this many times before, but I like it:

The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal their bread.– Anatole France

Ted’s case is hopeless, guys. Just ignore him.

Ummm…. give 10,000 to each and the difference to Ukraine?

Just giving every homeless American $25,000 would cause more harm than it might appear. The impact on our economy would surely be felt, causing more inflation. The odds are that most of the homeless would return to the streets once the money runs out. We currently have programs for the homeless that cost much more than $25,000 that get people off the street, cleaned up, sober, temporary housing and assisted to find a job. Right now there is a worker shortage, and jobs are plentiful. But few enter those programs. That sends the message that just giving each $25,000 would be more destructive than constructive. The parties would be over in under 90 days. The survivors would be right back where they are now.

Here’s how Finland solved its homelessness problem

The Finns have turned the traditional approach to homelessness on its head.

There can be a number of reasons as to why someone ends up homeless, including sudden job loss or family breakdown, severe substance abuse or mental health problems. But most homelessness policies work on the premise that the homeless person has to sort those problems out first before they can get permanent accommodation.

Finland does the opposite – it gives them a home first.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/02/how-finland-solved-homelessness

Don’t throw money, throw real help, which of course takes more effort.

Actually, Ted, I’m all in favor of providing all the military material we can to the Ukrainians but not giving $25,ooo to each homeless person. But, I do like the idea of providing a home for the homeless to have as an abode. Those cities that have done this, have seen that with an abode to call their own, they can improve their lives and become contributing members of society again. Now, this might end up costing us $25K per year or two, but it would be well worth the investment.

Giving people money with no other incentives or opportunity to fend for themselves only makes them want more free $.

I do not apologize for spending American funds to protect Ukrainian civilians from invading Russian troops, nor for spending American funds to strengthen the Ukrainian army against Putin’s marauders. To place this against benefiting the homeless is a false flag operation.

Hey Ted, how much are your Russian benefactors paying to invade and kill their neighbors?

If the United States didn’t spend trillions on military training and equipment, whom would the European countries call upon (yet again) to support their lackluster military capabilities whenever some Hitler-wannabe rattles his sabres?

Spoke with a Ukrainian lady in Nuremberg in 1964. She told me Ukrainians hate Russians. Starvation by Stalin, wholesale murder by Hitler, conned by Trump…and genocide by Putin. And yet they persist.

It’s expensive to fund defending freedom and peoples’ lives overseas. America often does it very inconsistently, and inefficiently. But in Ukraine’s case, it is well worth it; a rampantly aggressive and imperialistic Russia is no less an existential threat to world peace than climate change, and much more immediate.

Foreign aid makes up a tiny portion of our budget. We can afford to do both. But wake me up when America starts caring about other Americans, especially those deemed not worthy.

Both parties can’t seem to help themselves…..is it just the money or something darker.

$25,000 Ha!

Seattle spends well over $100,000 a year on each vagrant and all we get for that money is more vagrants injecting more drugs while camped out on sidewalks and parks and having the occasional mental health crisis that often involves swinging a piece of rebar at the heads of random passerby.

Good times!

Seems Ted might be worried that if the rubles from Sputnik stop flowing in he’ll end up sleeping on a sidewalk in Central City East.

I’m sure if we did the latter, you’d complain about how the homeless are wasting their money.Geez, you complain about everything.

There is a 4 year Govt program to help the over 65 get back into the work force. The Govt allots $66,000. per person. The Senior gets $7,000. a year. The private company that administers it keeps $59,000 of the funds.

There should be a negative income tax and a guaranteed minimal amount of money for those who need it.

We are sending aid to try and prevent massive homelessness in Ukraine.