More big stupidity in defense spending

This time the stupidity comes from Russia.  It seems they are increasing, greatly, the amount they're spending on defense and their military.  This out today:

With Russia's $650 billion rearmament plan, the bear sharpens its teeth

By Fred Weir – Mon Feb 28, 4:22 pm ET

Moscow – The graying bear is getting a make-over. Russia's military is launching its biggest rearmament effort since Soviet times, including a $650 billion program to procure 1,000 new helicopters, 600 combat planes, 100 warships, and 8 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.

How sad.

How stupid.

How unfortunate.

It seems humankind will never learn.

The former Soviet Union spent itself into bankruptcy (like the US is doing now, frankly, but they were just ahead of us), instead of taking real care of its people and now this.  More weapons.  More guns.  More bombs.

And for what?  So they can fight WWII?

So they can keep the French at bay?

Check this out--what the top 10 countries spend in "defense spending" annually, around the world in billions of dollars according to the Christian Science Monitor as of June, 2010:

10.  Italy  35.8B
  9.  India  36.3B
  8.  Saudi Arabia  41.2B
  7.  Germany  45.6B
  6.  Japan  51B
  5.  Russia  53.3B
  4.  England  58.1B
  3.  France  63.9B
A big leap here--
  2.  China  100B
And then the biggest, stupidest leap in this spending of all--
  1.  US  $661B

And the total?

One trillion, One hundred forty six billion, two hundred million dollars on weapons, missiles, warplanes, warships and various bombs, just so we can be prepared to kill each other.

Imagine if each country spent this money, instead, on the well-being of their own people.

It would be a vastly different and far-improved world, to be sure.

I'm reminded of a few quotes:

"Man is the only kind of varmint sets his own trap, baits it, then steps in it."  --John Steinbeck, Sweet Thursday


"We are perverse creatures and never satisfied.   --Nan Fairbrother


"Men!  The only animal in the world to fear."  --D.H. Lawrence

Links:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20110228/wl_csm/366331
http://www.csmonitor.com/CSM-Photo-Galleries/Lists/World-s-top-10-military-spenders
http://www.quotegarden.com/human.html