An interesting report... https://ips-dc.org/personal-income-taxes-spent-2017/ I think this really says it all... $4,328 – for the Pentagon and military. The average taxpayer contributed just $80 to welfare The average American paid $79 for the Internal Revenue Service Should we really concern ourselves to greatly about immigration and welfare?
That is a little; I don't know; blatantly naive, incomprehensible cherry picking... for the sake of being overtly unskilled in the aspects of humanity and general compassion. If not lacking the understanding of the current economic structure, that not only relies on having impoverishment but also growing disparity that continually limits the general population from a higher quality of life and living conditions, and a way to recover from crippling debt and medical expenses. If we're talking capitalism, let's actually run it like the Constitution actually specifically dictates... Art 1 Sect 8 "Congress has the power: to coin money, and set the value thereof." While this might seem oxymoron, putting specif powers into the hands of and inept congressional hands, but it was set that way for the very reasons that we are seeing today in the banking and financial industry, and the revolving door between them and the seats of government, producing an inept government for end game... putting corporate profit and greed above the blood, sweat and tears of those who supply it. I don't think producing more and more weapons has in anyway helped our diplomacy, in retrospect, our invasion of Iraq was costly and unobtainable... as our current occupation of Afghanistan has not only been a waist of taxes but also we continue to be there to uphold American interests for mainly oil and pharmaceutical companies. We're fighting all out wars for resources we are only addicted to, soon we'll all be in the welfare house, looking for our next fix. Maybe after you drop the mic, you can drop a couple of coins this guys way... ...most likely he's a vet.
Conservatism is a highly tuned business. It relies on profiteering (e.g. the military industrial complex you highlight). However, it needs eyes trained elsewhere. Blame the scrounger achieves that! They look to blame the least well-off to maintain the economic rents for the richest. And they are very successful. But is it due to the stupidity of the individual or information problems where the individual is incapable of making rational decision? Regarding welfare, the US is efficient at targeting the poor but ineffective at reducing poverty. Ironically, right wingers use that ineffectiveness- despite being generated by right wing policies- to suggest left wing policies can't work. Its funny, except for the poor blighters suffering because of it.
Unless we have a military which can defend us under all circumstances, none of those other items will make a bit of difference. I personally believe that Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan was a waste of money and lives.
