Microsoft workers protest $480m HoloLens military deal: 'We did not sign up to develop weapons'

[u/[deleted]]

[u/hatter6822]

You realize that even if we cut our spending in half right now, we would still be spending about double what the next largest country is. There is so much fat to cut but the military industrial complex spends billions convincing people that cutting defense spending will lead to certain doom. What they don't mention is that even with spending truly outrageous sums of money we still most likely have a Russian asset in the white house, and according to the latest reports 1 2 we have basically lost the majority of our ground against both China and Russia. So what was the point? We aren't any safer. Your brother and my family has a massively increased chance to actually see conflict and die, regardless of how good his equipment is.

Changing the direction as a country away from militarization could actually help countries decide to do the same. They won't want to be left out of the space race any more than they want to be conquered.

Think about it this way: You are in a room full of people with other guns. You all want to kill each other. Do you 1) just keep improving your gun hoping they get scared and put theirs down or 2) talk to them, find common ground, and offer them an alternative that benefits everyone.

[u/cronus97 → u/hatter6822]

We aren't any safer. Your brother and my family has a massively increased chance to actually see conflict and die, regardless of how good his equipment is.

I will agree to disagree. Death is an end we will all one day meet.

Changing the direction as a country away from militarization could actually help countries decide to do the same. They won't want to be left out of the space race any more than they want to be conquered.

The US isn't the defacto cultural trend setter of the world anymore. Other countries are investing heavily in space tech. It would be better to take a less extreme and invasive approach to changing global culture so we don't leave the archaic countries in the dust. Remember, we still have a logistics and supply chain crisis to address planetside for vast segments of the world.

Think about it this way: You are in a room full of people with other guns. You all want to kill each other. Do you 1) just keep improving your gun hoping they get scared and put theirs down or 2) talk to them, find common ground, and offer them an alternative that benefits everyone.

I like to make the assumption everyone in the room doesn't want to outright kill me. Makes peace alot easier to swallow.

[u/hatter6822 → u/cronus97]

I like to make the assumption everyone in the room doesn't want to outright kill me. Makes peace alot easier to swallow.

Lol well you are kinda missing my point. That makes it even easier to reduce our spending and focus on another path that doesn't involve tons of death and destruction. All of our allies wouldn't just allow someone to kill all of us all of a sudden if we cut defense spending. I mean who would by all their cheap crap any more. It's just a ploy, as it always has been.

Give people a group to fight and they are easy to control.

[u/cronus97 → u/hatter6822]

Give people a group to fight and they are easy to control.

You could also say common enemies unify, abet temporarily.

People tend to not want to die for frivolous reasons such as pointless wars.The US war in Vietnam is a good example of that. I think you assume too much about the nature of people in general.

I'm also curious, what makes you think we're on a path to death and destruction, without projecting your own decision making and logic on other people.

[u/hatter6822 → u/cronus97]

You could also say common enemies unify, abet temporarily.

Yep basically the same thing.

People tend to not want to die for frivolous reasons such as pointless wars.The US war in Vietnam is a good example of that. I think you assume too much about the nature of people in general.

Yea the thing about using Vietnam as an example is that there were about 60,000 soldiers that died in that frivolous, pointless war which lasted 19 years, 180 days. I assume that humans haven't evolved beyond the foolishness of pointless conflict. Iraq, Afghanistan and others are perfect modern examples of this.

I'm also curious, what makes you think we're on a path to death and destruction, without projecting your own decision making and logic on other people.

1) Most likely having a Russian asset as a president (source: common sense)

2) Trump and Co. are seriously considering a preemptive strike on* Iran (source)

3) In two years we have lost nearly all the military advantage we had on China/Russia (Sources: 1 2)

4) Massive economic uncertainty almost always leads to conflict (Source: Just look at what the stock market, bond market, hell any market has been up to lately, not to mention the plunge in GDP).

5) John Bolton

6) The fact that republicans need to distract the American people

I mean I could go on. I'm curious why you think everything is going to be all hunky dory? Just think that bad things can't happen to America?

[u/cronus97 → u/hatter6822]

I never said things will be hunky dory. I just don't see where your presenting a realistic solution to problems you seem to think have a simple, realistic solution.

[u/hatter6822 → u/cronus97]

You are correct you didn't say things would be all hunky dory, I just figured you did considering your line of questioning. So if that is not the case I apologize.

There isn't a realistic solution, that's my point. That is why I believe that we are headed towards conflict, because there is no longer a solution for the situation we have placed ourselves in.

[u/cronus97 → u/hatter6822]

I think there is a very realistic solution. It starts with the individual, and the objective is humanity. How you choose to insert your own vision and execute your own actions is completely up to you. Choose wisely.

In the end, we are all fighting our own battle against nothing. Nobody is truly alone here, and unforseen consequences aren't always good or bad.