Right. It's not existential, sure. It helps that all our debt is issued in our currency. But the fact is that ~30% of our national debt is held by foreign entities, and at the very least interest payments are an outflow of wealth from our country. This is not a healthy position if we value freedom of action. It WILL eventually constrain our country in meaningful ways. At the very least the mechanisms to manage this debt will weaken our currency, leaving everyone that doesn't invest in the market behind (which is a sizeable portion of our citizenry).
Pointing out that earth is a closed system so it's all good doesn't address these very real concerns about our unchecked national debt.
The cost of the war is zero? You're off your rocker.
The constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war and authorize military force. The fact that our country's politicians have manipulated our system to the point that this has been disregarded basically since WWII should never be normalized.
This country has been run by the rich for a very long time and democracy is on its way out.
So what do you think the cost of the war is, then? $50bn? Seems like splitting hairs or missing the point. Even $50bn is too much for a war that congress nor the American people approved.
Lol. Speak for yourself, AI has not diminished my thinking in any material way and has indeed accelerated my ability to learn.
Anyone predicting the "end of humanity" is playing prophet and echoing the same nonsensical prophecies we heard with the invention of the printing press, radio, TV, internet, or a number of other step-change technologies.
There's a false premise built into the assertion that humanity can even end - it's not some static thing, it's constantly evolving and changing into something else.
Very well put. Hans Rosling (RIP) in his book "Factfulness" talks about how the leaders of a nation or even the system of government make very little difference in the rising standard of living in a given country. What makes the difference is people getting up and going to work. Ie, incrementally and steadily improving what's actually in each of our spheres of control rather than losing our minds over celebrity politicians' latest tweets.
As Epictetus said, "If you wish to improve, be content to appear clueless or stupid in extraneous matters." As true today as it was 2000 years ago.
Pointing out that earth is a closed system so it's all good doesn't address these very real concerns about our unchecked national debt.