[taraharris]

I don't know what's going on, but it's clear that there are vast sums of money going into illegal black programs beyond congressional oversight. I strongly suspect that Kirkpatrick's role is to deflect public interest and criticism in order to maintain the status quo. I don't trust a single word he says.

Regardless of whether or not there is alien life, our government should be forced to open up its secrets, whatever they may be. We don't need any of this to stay safe.

[GartzenDeHaes]

In 2009, the black budget was estimated to be over $50 billion [1]. It's so huge that the military industrial media complex designed, built, and operated an entire 100 jet wing of secret new fighters in the 1980's [2].

1. https://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/05/pentagons-black-bud...

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_F-117_Nighthawk

[wolverine876]

We can write anything; the differentiator is evidence. Certainly there are programs outside public oversight, but do we have evidence of the vast sums outside Congressional oversight? Where do they get the money if not from Congress? Do you have evidence of Kirkpatrick's role?

> our government should be forced to open up its secrets

That is generally the law (including the Freedom of Information Act), though there's overclassification by security agencies. Some things need to be classified, obviously, so what exactly are you advocating? How do we improve it?

[taraharris]

We should repeal the National Security Act of 1947.

Nuclear weapons have proliferated to nine nations around the world since the passage of that act. The production of nuclear armaments is clearly limited by political will and industrial power, not knowledge.

The act protects a foreign policy establishment that has abused its power to conduct dirty tricks against other nations for decades in order to keep American elites rich and in power.

No one is going to invade the American homeland, given the vast oceans separating us from the rest of the world. Repealing that act and removing the foreign policy establishment from power would unwind our vast empire abroad and greatly improve our relations with other nations.

I would prefer that we do this cleanly, but unfortunately I think our empire will suffer a far messier fall from power over the coming decades. Empires at this stage flail wildly in their military adventures.

[mathgradthrow]

"ufo detection" and missile defense are the same technology so you couldnt be more wrong.

[taraharris]

Missile defense is a misnomer. The distinction between a defensive and offensive capability is meaningless in the context of arms races and mutually assured destruction. As we pour billions into shooting down ICBMs, China will pour billions into new delivery systems to evade that defense, and vice versa.

The net result is that money on all sides is taxed away from things that people actually need and want (food, shelter, medicine, schools, parks, the arts) and directed into things that either rust in silos and bases or kill us all.

The only way to stop an arms race is to increase transparency and to negotiate treaties with our peers.