Why is it that conservatives (supposedly) hate taxes but dont mind paying corporations billions to wage war?

This a great question! Most conservatives have mastered the skill of defining, or framing, issues in a way that irritates the hell out of me! By consciously and cleverly framing the terms used in the debate, in this case, "Taxes" or "War", they define the debate itself by blatantly standing on a pedestal of flag-waving liberty and supposed individualism, claiming left wing thinkers are the moral and principle deficiency in our buckling nation. If the deal looks rough, all they do is pull their ace out...God. He is on their side after all.

The only reason that corporations (actually not a bad word, most people work for one) get paid big bucks to support the war is that 15 years ago (when Clinton was president) the Government decided to cut the size of the Army in Half and eliminate the unit's that did those functions (run dining facilities, supply and run rear area bases, etc), the thought process was that we would save money by having a smaller Army and that during a war we would hire contractors to fill that need during war time.

This has been the war plan for years. I am not going to say if this was a good Idea or not, but remember that these contractors may get paid more than soldiers but the get little to no long term benefits and do not have a job after they leave combat. Soldiers still get paid in the rear and during peace time.

1) These "conservatives"are not really conservatives at all. Profligrate spending does not a conservative make.Fiscal conservatives (people who look at long term effects & who see that a dollar spent today means 2 dollars paid back down the road) are appalled at the drunken sailorish habits of this current administration. Libertarians are also beside themselves at the expensive foreign entanglements we have fallen into (by our own poor designs)

2)There is a mistaken belief that when big companies do better they use the money to create jobs in the American economy, so a little gov't incentive to big companies helps the economy. Maybe at one time there was some basis to this. Today, any company that finds it cheaper to flee high American labor costs has done so, & there is a plethora of examples of american companies which no longer make anything in America. (Levis are 100% made in chinese factories today - they closed over 60 plants in the US)

3) There is a third mistaken belief that war is somehow good for the economy. The longterm costs of soldier's benefits, lost skills & lost productivity due to injuries & death is not factored into this equation. The US just finished paying for the Civil War last year. That's right - the last civil war widow died in 2005 (she had married a much older husband when she was quite young) There is nothing truly conservative about war, increasing debt or corporate welfare.

Conservative at one time meant the judicious use of the word "no." It involved fiscal restraint, balanced budgets & trade policies that made sense. It has nothing to do with xenophobia, alienating friendly countries or capriciously breaking treaties.

Todays real conservatives are ironically labelled progressives.

;-)

Oh, here's a good idea you might approve of. Let's NOT give any money to military corporations. That way, our soldiers won't have food, bullets, armor, gasoline, clothing, transportation, or equipment. They can be dropped off in the desert in a mine field and find rocks to protect themselves with. Would THAT make you happier?

And how about reconstruction? Would you rather than we bomb a war zone and then have no moral responsibility to help the civilians recover?

Because we know that Bush is doing the right thing. NOt only by talking with the soldiers we know that have been there, but by actually LISTENING.

By actually SEEING that we were attacked. And knowing that this was not some ploy (as you imply) that this was just for money.

America was doing fine without the money. I have heard nowhere where those corporations were saved from the brink of bankruptcy - which tells me war or no war they would have been fine.

You are being logical, conservatives are just emotional.

War makes them feel strong, but paying taxes makes them feel poor. They never make the connection about the cost of war eventually biting them in the form of taxes.

What does one have to do with the other?

Pssst.... Our Country was attacked on 9-11. We didn't wage this war, the terrorist did.

We really don't want to be at war.

All I can say is that you are correct.

Things that make you go "hmmmm."