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In a nod to my predilection for pop-culture references, the preeminence of national security and worldwide military power over a desire for a "strong economy" is illustrated in the weeklong 1987 ABC mini-series, Amerika. I urge all of my loyal and devoted readers--and everyone else, for that matter--to read the description. A nation can lead the world in economic power, but lose it all to a few EMPs, especially when its people are apathetic to national security needs.
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But..., but..., but aren't we told, "Military security and economic security go hand in hand"? Bullshit. The problem with this maxim is that it is an excuse for defense spending cut proposals by Tea Partiers and a concession to that conservative/Teabrainer political reality by patriots.
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The truth of "Guns, then butter" goes back to our friend the caveman. If Ugg-Ugg the caveman makes a harvest tool from a tree and his cousin Ugg makes a club from a tree, then Ugg ultimately ends up with the club, the harvest tool, and the harvested food, and Ugg-Ugg ends up as an impoverished slave of Ugg, doing the actual harvesting with the tool he made (and taking it any trees Ugg-Ugg may have, at the height of his "economic" power, planted). Ugg-Ugg will have handed Ugg his "strong economy," with no visible hope of ever getting it back.
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Moral of the story: Guns, then butter!
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"Just tell me how much fuel and ammo are gonna cost, and I'm done with economic matters."
--Me.