Has the US become a "bomb now/regret later" nation, based on politics, not real need?

Question

Politicians turn over very quickly--our presidents every 4 or 8 years. Short-term interests serve them best because they can leave the problems to future politicians.

But it's well-known that the politicians are cozy with the Military Industrial Complex, which provides 15% of our gross national income. People in many states work for our big defense agencies, like Lockheed Martin, so their state representatives push for more weapon-making to keep their state citizens employed.

Consequently we have an abundance of weapons. And with leaders who want to invade countries to 'democratize' them (under false pretenses of WMD), there is a trigger-happy 'willingness to go to war.' There are also people like Cheney, who put his profitable Halliburton into this war that he and the Bush administration created.

Do we go to war these days (think Vietnam too) because we NEED to, or because it is serving political agendas and big business?

Answer 1

Maybe, it's dog eat dog world out there as we run out of oil and we try to stay a leader in a very compete globalized world. What is the value of having the military might if you can't use it to protect our nation from those how want to destroy us?

Answer 2

Bush, Halliburton, Cheney, Big Business, War, WMD,  and Military Industrial Complex (haven't heard that one in years).  You've hit all the buzzwords.  

To answer your question.  We are not a "bomb now/regret later" nation.  We are a "exhaust all diplomatic options before war with a head of state bent on our destruction if he had the means and the means reared its ugly head in September 2001".  Please don't disparage the sacrifices of people willing to do the heavy lifting in a dangerous world in order to make the future better.  War is needed sometimes.  There are countless examples of the good that comes out of it.

Answer 3

you obviously formed your own opinion. why bother asking

Answer 4

Big Business and agendas. We havent declared war since WW2 and havent won a war since then either. The Bush policy of preemitive war is something Americans should be against. We should not be attacking other countries unless we are in direct danger.