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Comment by newswasboring | Hacker News Reader

> Increase general taxation and use that to fund more pharamaceutical R&D?

Take the US military budget and give it to life saving research instead of life taking.

Edit: Also implement a wealth tax instead of income tax. Discourage hoarding of wealth and concentration of power in the hands of top 1%.

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Ah yes so China or Russia can invade and establish a totalitarian regime. Excellent idea.

You don't have to give up all of it. The total budget of US is larger than the next 6 countries combined. India, which is actually surrounded by hostile neighbors, one of which is china manages to defend itself with a tenth of the budget. My guy you are giving military money they didn't even ask for in this year's budget. Please stop repeating this line. American budget it not to stop China or Russia, its to assert their own will on the world.

> The total budget of US is larger than the next 6 countries combined.

Not in % of gdp. The only metric that matters. The US economy is massive in size so of course the budget is a big number.

> one of which is china manages to defend itself with a tenth of the budget.

Everything is cheaper in China. You can do a lot more with one million there than in the US.

I don't know why you are talking about china while the point I was making was about India defending itself against china. Also indian % of GDP for military budget is 2.8 while for US its 3.75. US has no neighboring countries actively attacking it, India does.

edit: BTW, is there any actual proof that this whole military budget dissuades Russia and China in any way?

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