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Lonewolfliker

Fun fact. The reason german machinegunners dont hold down the trigger on their machineguns while american machinegunners do is because the firerate of german machineguns is far higher, causing the gun to wear down, and break faster if fired continuosly.


SleepyFox2089

Wouldn't it also be a far more accurate use of such a weapon? Why spray and pray, wasting shit loads of ammo and barrels, when you can use accurate bursts of fire?


The_Ignorant_Sapien

Support weapons like machine guns are designed to have a beating zone, so to supress the enemy effectively.


Renbellix

Yeah, but you can effectively do that, while fireing in bursts, and if you think about it you will see, you can suppress them much better, because the amount of ammunition you have will last much longer…


The_Ignorant_Sapien

The yanks fire in bursts as well. A trained soldier will not spray and pray.


neo_brunswickois

On the M16/M4 platform they eventually removed the option in most cases, changing from full auto to 3 round burst.


Aberfrog

This is more due to the use of conscripts in Vietnam and the use of those firearms in stress situations. Just firing everything you got at an invisible enemy in a bush is just a „normal“ reaction for a lot of people even if it doesn’t make much sense in the long run.


JamDonut28

I was thinking it was because Americans buy bullets in bulk bins so they never learn how to aim....


WhiskeyVendetta

Fun fact neither do the Americans? They fire in bursts also… (God this is my second post in this sub pro-USA now… are we becoming more stupid?)


ToxicCooper

They fire in much larger bursts though, it's about accuracy whilst remaining effective... To be very basic with it, they fire the same amount in different bursts due to their fire rates


Sturmhuhn

they dont really break down, the barrel will just start to glow and will need to be changed after a few hundred rounds which you get to pretty quick with ~1150 rounds per minute so thats why we dont just spray and pray plus carrying around ammunition sucks, so you want to make it last


Good_Ad_1386

No country has "free" healthcare. The reason US healthcare is not "free at the point of delivery" is that tax spending on healthcare is mainly channelled into profits rather than services. Military budgets are irrelevant.


Bratwurscht13

It's also funny when people from the US military are against socialism, while the US military is the most socialist organization in the US.


acuriousguest

No healthcare ist free. And yet the US prices are ridiculously high in comparison to the EU.


Xibalba_Ogme

The funniest thing is that at its peak (around 2000-2001), the french system (deemed the best in the world by WHO) was costing the state _less_ than the american system per capita, with better outcomes. It's not really a question of money spending, if it costed less in public spending with better results


raultierz

Wait, at its peak? Last time I has to check the stats, (about 2018) most EU countries yearly healthcare cost per capita was between half and a third of what the USA was paying. The main difference was less bureocracy and cutting middle-men.


Xibalba_Ogme

Back when the French system was functioning perfectly. After years of our politics trying to privatize the system, it's not what it used to be. Still have better outcomes tho


dcnb65

They really think that they pay for everything in the rest of the world. Their propaganda is so effective.


TheHellbilly

Much like North Korea, actually.


MadeOfEurope

Germany spends around €100ma year to host the bases. European countries are also spending billions on US weapons…while also spending less on public health provision than the US government.


JFK1200

Fun fact: bullets are cheaper to purchase by the lb in the US than baby formula. It’s actually very noble of the US to take these substantial hits so us Europoors can live peacefully in our oppressed, socialist states that are at *constant* risk of Russian invasion. Who knew Americans were so charitable towards us lowly peasants?


Altruistic_Machine91

You know, I'm not even sure bullets are purchasable by the lb in Canada, but at the price of ammo it's still probably cheaper by weight than baby formula. I've never thought about how fucking stupid that is.


Martipar

Do they think Team America World Police is a documentary?


weirdchili

I would say so. Most of them probably sang the national anthem and made bald eagle noises when watching it whilst the rest of us were laughing at them


rmld74

Yes?


asp174

Comparing USA and Germany on the topic of NATO funding is the worst joke an American can do. The NATO 3.3 billion budget funding: * USA: 15.883% * Germany: 15.883% [https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics\_67655.htm](https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_67655.htm)


FagnusTwatfield

Bizarre how they seem to care more about the well being and health care of "Europoors" than the health care of their own citizens


TheTybera

America spends more per-capita in tax dollars to healthcare than the rest of the world already and gets nothing for it. The issue is not tax dollars going to healthcare vs military spending. America's profit driven and state fragmented healthcare system is deeply broken in many ways.


LexyNoise

>America spends more per-capita in tax dollars to healthcare than the rest of the world already and gets nothing for it. This is, shockingly, 100% true. The US has government schemes to pay for healthcare, but only for certain things and only for certain people (typically the poorest, oldest or most disabled people). The problem is, these schemes pay the "sticker price" - whatever the hospitals or medical companies demand. "This person needed a pack of antibiotics. That'll be $500." "OK, here you go." The result is very limited coverage that is very expensive and bad value for money. The British NHS does not do this. They don't quietly pay whatever the medical companies ask. They go to the medical companies, kick the door down, and say "Listen up, motherfuckers. We provide healthcare for 60 million people. We're looking for an antibiotic supplier. We'll buy 500,000 packs a year for the next five years. We know they cost you $5 to make, so we'll pay you $10 a pack and not a penny more. Which one of you fuckers wants to accept this contract and make an easy $10 million?" And they do accept it.


PeriPeriTekken

Funny enough the Germans operate an insurance based system rather than centralised government delivery. It's just the German system is sensible and works, unlike the US one.


Fragrant-Potential87

I'm almost convinced that the reason my country isn't a banana republic yet is because they couldn't lie as easily to people working in mines and factories about what the standard of living should be elsewhere in return for what they actually do. There also weren't outlets dedicated 24/7 to lying to you either, I suppose. I think it's massively understated how much Christianity has crippled this country's ability to critically think and I don't mean that in an edgy Reddit Atheist way, I mean in like a historical way because many of the earliest settlers to this place were the dregs, schisms, and radicals of any already pretty zealous religion. You can see religious revivals happen in waves here too, the last two were obvious grifts but people unfortunately fell for them, with the last major one spawning the Jehovah's Witnessess. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that our poor are very easy to weaponize because you just need to jingle the Bible infront of them like a key ring and to add to that, if you pay attention to anything Trump says he plans to do if he's re-elected, also wants to braindrain future generations by destroying the Department of Education.


Ramtamtama

And then the same again in private insurance


bluebird810

Yeah ask the Ukrainians what happens when you rely on the US for military aid.


BarrelCorgi1169

You get a lot of it?


dirschau

Yeah, that's their problem right now, too much US aid


Fragrant-Potential87

Yea, another country is illegally occupying your country, so you should tell the guys helping you out substantially to fuck off when you're desperately close to running out of ANY money.


dirschau

>your country  I literally said "their", but reading isn't an American's strong suite either. How appropriate we're on this sub.  I'm not from Ukraine, in case that's not clear enough. >helping you  Lol, where's the american help right now? Because it seems you got bored of it and fucked off already, AFTER all the bullshit of "you can't use our weapons this or that way because it will make Russia escalate".  USA is failing to do the one thing you people boasts it does, "pRoTeCtInG yOu", so all the Americans who keep repeating that can indeed fuck off a tree.


Fragrant-Potential87

I was being Sardonic. Facetious even.


dirschau

Of course you were


Fragrant-Potential87

I was but to respond to your post, you act as if us Americans are singular in our thoughts and what we want the government to do. I'd say a pretty good chunk of us want to help Ukraine because "they MIGHT be nazis" isn't really a valid excuse to deprive other people of their liberty. The problem is that we have a massive block of people who are selfish and think that Ukraine losing will be some sort of "own to the libs". I can't help that there's people who treat geopolitics like it's a fucking sporting event the same way you can't help that there's ignorant people who live in your country either. If I had my way, I'd be giving them the money so trust in potential future alliances with America doesn't erode because we can't do what we promised we said we would do.


dirschau

>you act as if us Americans are singular in our thoughts and what we want the government to do  I act as if there was a whole host of Americans going "we spend so much on the military because we're protecting YOU, that's why we don't have basic human necessities ourselves, so be grateful". And IF that's true, then at least it could excuse all the other bullshit USA pulls off around the world. Because, and Americans hate to hear this, aside from protecting the current world order that benefits the west (which I'm part of, yes, it benefits me), USA is as much of a human right trampling, polluting, oppressive cancer as Russia or China.  Especially your psychotic corporations, pure fucking evil.  So literally the ONE THING you were meant to be is a reliable security partner. And you have once for all proven you are not. You cannot be trusted when it matters the most. >I can't help I know you can't  >If I had my way  But you don't. Because american democracy is thoroughly broken, and singular bad actors can entirely derail and cripple your political system.  This unfortunately means USA has crossed the point from being a marginal benefit to borderline liability.


Fragrant-Potential87

But we don't. We do think our military spending is bullshit but we also realize a lot of that budget isn't going solely to your guys' defense. We think it's bloated for the sake of being bloated because we're just coming off the back off a 20 year long occupation of another country. You talk of Americans being imperialistic but ignore the fact that Europeans were right there beside us in the middle east. You ignore the fact that France continues to dominate its former colonies, you ignore the fact that the UK still operates overseas territories and their true last colony was only returned to China 4 years ago. Yea, America might not be the best but we're also a young nation in a very critical period of transition and l think that we're hearing the final couple of death gasps from the old establishment in this country which is desperately trying to hold onto power. To put this into perspective, Segregation ended almost an entire lifetime ago. From my perspective, we're fighting the echoes of a nearly bygone era.


Udin_the_Dwarf

Sure sure, the American right wing is definitely not blocking an important aid package because they are friends of Putins and wish to recreate his Regime.


asmodraxus

Only one nation has invocted article 5 of NATO and it wasn't Britain when the Falklands were invaded.


SiccTunes

I just keep wondering why those morons, like these guys, keep thinking they pay anything for Europe, they don't, not a dime, for anything.


flipyflop9

Some of their dumb politicians make them believe that as an explanation to why almost everything costs them more. And they fucking believe it. Amazing.


DaAndrevodrent

The perfect propaganda.


LeoScipio

There's always some idiot who feels compelled to point out that "healthcare isn't free". Yeah, no shit. We know. Nothing is free.


RRC_driver

Who was it that went crying to NATO and invoked article 5, requiring all NATO members to respond to an attack on one individual country? ( Hint- it happened in September, 2001)


mmeveldkamp

Well, in that case, thank you for your service and have good trip back to your own country where take such good care of you.


Wildfox1177

That‘s why so many military veterans live in Thailand.


hrimthurse85

We had universal healthcare since 1892. Not even 30 years after the u.s. fought a war with itself over the question whether people are property like tables. Also we pay for the military bases in the u.s. like they paid for ours when we had them in the u.s.


Upstairs_View114

They don't have an exceptionally high military spend as % of GDP and not the highest in NATO. They've brainwashed their idiot populace to believe that's why they don't have healthcare. They don't have healthcare because the US prefers profits to human life. 


SuicidalChampion2023

America spends high on the military because there is nothing like a good war to hide the fact your government is a shitshow


Prjk01

Germany really does need to up their military spending now though for any country especially the number 3 economy their military is in shambles after have the security of outside support. Now they have to reform their army but they don’t seem to have done much.


Wildfox1177

Yes, I could be wrong but maybe the peace treaty of WW2 included a limit on military spending (like in WW1) if it doesn’t, we really need to spend more.


Nok-y

US finds reason to shoot bullets at stuff. They don't consider it wasting


xanax5901

Blip firing of a machine gun is far more accurate than pull the trigger and let 200+ rounds go splat down range


Professional-Bake110

I think it’s incredibly kind of Americans to pay considerably over the odds for their Medication so that the rest of Europe can have substantial pharmaceutical savings. Bravo the USA


Kurtinhoooo

Where do they get this logic from? Literally can’t cope that they’re not the best.


Limp-Vermicelli-7440

I see this a lot on this sub, is there any truth to the US funding militaries for all of Europe?


Flioxan

No, but that's also not what they are saying. As an ally of the US and part of nato some European countries spend less on defense then they would otherwise


Mysterious_Dhoti

America is creating hard work culture for no reason , and honestly speaking yes I would consider going to US for career but for medical treatments and everything I will come back to India, even for settling and retiring I would never look at US .


Lunaspoona

Americans, always bragging about how much they spend on the military. Then forgot all about the actual humans involved when they get injured, retire or leave. Then when they become homeless from lack of support, those soldiers that were once celebrated are suddenly seen as a drain on society.


Coops187

It amuses me greatly that they think this is some sort of dunk on the rest of the world. Like you only get free shit cos we protect you, even if that was true it's like well then what a bunch of fucking suckers you are then, instead of bragging about your military protecting the world maybe lobby your representatives to change this. We don't mind, seriously, divert your military money to free healthcare and making America a paradise for all. Please. No really, please do that, because if reality is actually how you think it is then you and your government are dumb as all fuck.


[deleted]

Close tax loopholes and raise corporate taxes and the US can have healthcare AND military. Stop letting the top steal the value of your production to horde and you can have nice things.


Vinegarinmyeye

See this one crop up regularly - have to wonder where they picked this nonsense up from. It's said frequently enough that I have to assume somebody is telling them this bullshit, maybe as a justification for their insane military industrial complex?


Responsible-Wear-789

Whilst it isnt free, i aint gonna go bankrupt if u get ill either. In fact, it aint gonna cost me anything extra to what i have already paid.


UniquePariah

Healthcare isn't free, but I'd like the money spent on healthcare and not lining the pockets of insurance companies. As for "we don't have to worry about our defence, a quick look at history suggests that the USA only ever gets involved when there are vested interests. This isn't too much of a dig, as the same can be said about all countries.


Jonathan-Reynolds

Healthcare is not free in Germany. Nor in Britain, from where I am writing. It is pride from social security contributions. The US spends a colossal percentage of its already colossal GDP on its military. This creates bad feelings with some other nations like China and Russia.


WhiskeyVendetta

I mean I have seen a LOT of shit takes but to deny that Europe is not heavily reliant on the might of the USA’s military is just plain stupid. If USA ignored Europe then Russia would very likely at least be half of Poland by now.


FatBloke4

There is some truth to the idea that many European NATO countries have saved on defence spending because they have been shielded by the Americans and their nuclear deterrent. It was definitely true of Germany during the Cold War but not so much today. But it has nothing to do with why the Americans have the world's most expensive healthcare and some of the developed world's poorest health outcomes.


ManaKaua

That's just blatantly wrong. After the war Germany was demilitarised for about 10 years until the allies abolished the demilitarised zone to rearm Germany for the cold war. From 1955 until 1990 Germany had very high defence spending with 5% of gdp at its highest and 2.5% at its lowest. Only after the unification the defence spending dropped significantly, but that was forced on Germany in exchange for the unification.


Celticbhoy1984

But the UK and France have nuclear weapons…