"Peace through strength"..

[°Leprechaun]

meaning spending too much money ($700,000,000,000) on military spending and making
threatening statements etc etc

Is a horrible thing (sane)

The money could be spent on better things.

"strength" is literally a good thing, but not in this context
"Peace through stength" is "MAD"

[adrac]

While this principle is definitely true to some extent, it doesn't come nearly close to justifying American military spending. Voted HT

[pbrower2a]

Others -- because without freedom, peace is merely submission.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I prefer strength through peace.

[Santander]

There's peace through strength, and then there's waste, fraud, and abuse.

[°Leprechaun]

I prefer strength through peace.

"like"

[°Leprechaun]

There's peace through strength, and then there's waste, fraud, and abuse.

I agree about waste, fraud and abuse.

[°Leprechaun]

If one meditates on the dharma wheel one can find the peace sign within.

[Santander]

There's peace through strength, and then there's waste, fraud, and abuse.

I agree about waste, fraud and abuse.

More specifically, I am saying that having a blue water navy, nuclear deterrent, leading technology, etc. can contribute to "peace through strength". However, deficit hawks like Jim Jordan putting Abrams tanks the Pentagon doesn't want/need in the budget to support the weapons industry in his district while trying to kick poor people off Medicaid is something else altogether.

[Fuzzy Says: "Abolish NPR!"]

"Peace Through Strength" is a Freedom Thing.

"A Republic, Not An Empire" is a Freedom Thing, too.

[Mr. Smith]

Terrible, strength through peace is much better.

[Fuzzy Says: "Abolish NPR!"]

Terrible, strength through peace is much better.

If only it were realistic.

Is the World a dangerous place?  I suppose the answer to that dictates your answer to the poll here.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

"Speak softly and carry a big stick" is rather the opposite of a ranting sociopath who yearns to give defense contractors and the military truckloads of money for weapons of questionable utility.

[KingSweden]

There's peace through strength, and then there's waste, fraud, and abuse.

I agree about waste, fraud and abuse.

More specifically, I am saying that having a blue water navy, nuclear deterrent, leading technology, etc. can contribute to "peace through strength". However, deficit hawks like Jim Jordan putting Abrams tanks the Pentagon doesn't want/need in the budget to support the weapons industry in his district while trying to kick poor people off Medicaid is something else altogether.

^^^^

[Mr. Smith]

Terrible, strength through peace is much better.

If only it were realistic.

Is the World a dangerous place?  I suppose the answer to that dictates your answer to the poll here.

Peace through strength hasn't exactly been realistic by itself either.

Also, I'd argue that the answer is a bit more complicated than what I think you're trying to imply.

[°Leprechaun]

Terrible, strength through peace is much better.

If only it were realistic.
Is the World a dangerous place?  I suppose the answer to that dictates your answer to the poll here.

Realistically, although I am a pacifist,
it is moot, because I am very
pessimistic about the idea.

[Mr. Smith]

"Speak softly and carry a big stick" is rather the opposite of a ranting sociopath who yearns to give defense contractors and the military truckloads of money for weapons of questionable utility.

Not really, all that other stuff you mentioned is just a really really really big stick, and the tone of the speaking is itself, a bit subjective.

Same way both liberals and conservatives appear to be capitalist stooges with little difference if you take a Marxist perspective, or how they appear to be statists to Libertarians, or elitist do-nothings who take and take to Populists, and so on and so on.

[President Johnson]

Massive FF.

I don't mean warmongering and unlimited arming, but weakness encourages dictators and autocrats to bully others. Diplomacy should always be the first choice if possible. But that even works better with political, economic and military strenght in the background.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Right-wing Cold War-era political slogan. Kill It Dead.

[HisGrace]

Actual peace through strength is fine. However lots of people use it as an excuse for defense pork and bombing all kinds of random countries (which it should be noted isn't actually peace).

[OSR stands with Israel]

FF of course

[#gravelgang #lessiglad]

There's peace through strength, and then there's waste, fraud, and abuse.

I agree about waste, fraud and abuse.

More specifically, I am saying that having a blue water navy, nuclear deterrent, leading technology, etc. can contribute to "peace through strength". However, deficit hawks like Jim Jordan putting Abrams tanks the Pentagon doesn't want/need in the budget to support the weapons industry in his district while trying to kick poor people off Medicaid is something else altogether.

Terrible, strength through peace is much better.

Both of these are true. Strength through peace is FF and massive DoD waste.

[TPIG]

"Peace Through Strength" is a Freedom Thing.

"A Republic, Not An Empire" is a Freedom Thing, too.

Couldn't agree more. We need a strong military presence globally to protect our interests and our allies, but we shouldn't be toppling regimes under the misguided notion that we'll be able to turn backwards dictatorships into Western-style, democratic paradises.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

A horrible utterance made by people who don't know what they're talking about.

[Sir Mohamed]

Depends on the definition of strength. If that solely means military power, then HP in our days. A functioning military is still important, but that alone doesn't determine true strength. Today's power rests more on economic power and influence, cyber capabilities and even some cultural issues.

Russia for example has a lot of military strength, but is economically not great power. The only thing they have are fossil fuels. Even CA alone is greater economic power.