--- In [email protected], "authfriend" <jst...@...> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], off_world_beings <no_reply@> wrote: > > > > --- In [email protected], "shempmcgurk" <shempmcgurk@> > > wrote: > <snip> > > > The ONLY category applicable is "defense". > > > > > > See Barry's original post, above. No mention is made > > > of other categories that tangentially have something > > > to do with defense (i.e., people who work in those > > > departments once saw "Saving Private Ryan").> > > > > I see. What you mean to say here is: Shemp admits he was > > wrong, and that military spending is more than half of > > the annual US budget when Social Security is taken out. > > Look, what Barry said wasn't ambiguous. If it had needed > clarification--if he had meant defense as a percentage of > the budget minus Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid > instead of percentage of gross national product, he's had > ample opportunity to admit his mistake. But he hasn't done > so, so we can assume he stands by what he said to start > with, even though it was wildly wrong. > > Shemp was right to call him on it, and you aren't doing > Barry any favors by trying to cover for him by changing > what he said. >
Not only that but even assuming the change, Off_World is totally off on this. For example, "Homeland security" is the closest any of the categories he includes that come to "defense". But even that's a stretch. And he includes everything but the kitchen sink.
