• Jaysyn@kbin.social
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        10 months ago

        The USA could end homelessness or hunger (and maybe both) nationally for the amount of money we sent to Israel each year.

        • Earthwormjim91@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          No, no they could not lol. Not even remotely close.

          The US spends $2 Billion a year on aid to Israel.

          They spend $105 Billion a year in direct payments to SNAP (food stamps) recipients.

          And $32 Billion a year on section 8 housing vouchers.

            • treefrog@lemm.ee
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              10 months ago

              The problem is starving homeless children. Feeding them and giving them housing fixes this. It also gives them more opportunities, which makes it more likely they contribute to society in meaningful ways (including paying more in taxes than we spend helping them, especially when factored over generations). The alternative is often a bigger tax burden via the criminal justice system. (Prison is much more expensive than housing vouchers and food stamps).

              Bringing people out of poverty is a good economic investment. The only time handouts don’t help is when they go to the financial sector. It doesn’t improve tax income for the State and investors begin to predict bailouts, making risky investments more worthwhile because Uncle Sam will help them out.

              Tax the rich, feed the poor.

        • torpak@discuss.tchncs.de
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          10 months ago

          That homelessness and hunger are not ended in the USA is not because the money needed is spent on other things, it is because the government doesn’t want to end them.

    • bobs_monkey@lemm.ee
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      10 months ago

      “Or else we will be very, very angry with you. And we will write you a letter, telling you how angry we are.”

    • Chunk@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      Or the region could destabilize and the US has diplomatic cover to limit their hypothetical response to a more defensive set of operations.