Are our priorities out of whack?

Millions of Americans die every year of cancer. We limit how much we're willing to spend to find a cure.

Millions of Americans die every year of AIDS. There's "moral" controversy over whether the government should fund research at all, so federal funds are limited to do so.

An indeterminably high statistic of homeless Americans die every year from having to sleep outside in the dead of winter, yet we don't want to spend government funds on shelters and soup kitchens.

On September 11, 2001, 3,000 Americans died in a tragic and horrible attack on our country, and so far, we have spent over $412 billion fighting to obtain freedom for a small Middle Eastern country. (And this is leaping to the difficult-to-believe assumption that the war had anything to do with 9/11, which the Bush administration has pretty much admitted, it doesn't.)

While millions of Americans continue to die.

Why are our priorities so screwed up?

libertarian and Butterhead: You miss the point. I'm not talking about private donations, I'm talking about where our national priorities lie - we spend federal tax money on securing freedom for other nations - what would happen if even HALF the money that's being poured into the war in Iraq was being spent on cancer research?

We have a whole host of issues to seek solutions with in America, and, we have become polorized to a fault and have become insensitive to real issues that should concern every american.

Curing diseases like cancer, and aids...is a lot more honorable than spending endless money in a endless war.

You are very right. You are so right. Our Borders are not secured even while we are trying to secure the borders of Iraq. I was all for Iraq at first because Saddam was evil. But we ignored our generals and waisted money and lives. Now the war has lasted longer than WWII and cost more.
Secure the Borders, Remove Pork from Bills, Clean up the legal system!

Because people in other countries are more important than people in the US? Because Halliburton doesn't build soup kitchens and shelters in the US? Because our construction trades over here don't need the work?

Pick one.

I think you're somewhat behind on your information. The NCI's budget for almost $6 billion dollars was just approved. Also, over $300 million each year is spent on funding the homeless via organizations around the country, many of which get grants and other funding from the government. Please don't mistake that because its not on the nightly news, that its not happening. Thanks!

Greed, I could stop right there, that is the answer, however let me explain, you see the answers in here all the time. Capitalism is the economics's of greed, the more you make, the more you need, it does not make any practical sense that we the richest nation on earth does not have access to health care for 45 million people. But when ask, the typical citizen will cite answers that are misinformation from the insurance company's lobby that health care in country's that have it. is sub par which is a complete falsehood. The greedy insurance company's stand to lose billions if universal health care is adopted, the drug company's could no longer dictate how much we pay for life giving drugs. Another greedy industry. What their spin is that they would no longer be able to develop new drugs, not true either. New drugs still would be highly profitable. Just not as profitable. I once worked for a trucking company that closed down a division because it wasn't profitable enough. It was profitable, just not enough. That's greed.

cancer should be on the top ten priority list, the cut in funding for research is a crime

Nothing stops anyone from giving their money to research facilities (or the homeless shelters) for the different causes you just mentioned. And yes, I have given to two of those causes on a regular basis.

So, no, the priorities are not screwed up. Everyone has a choice to give on their own and not rely on Government to do everything for them.
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You are missing the point. Again, why have Government do something that can be done through private donations. Government gets enough of my paycheck. By stabalizing Iraq now, we will not have to "waste" money later by going back. But I could take your same argument and say why not take half of Social Security and put it towards research. People should be saving their own money for retirement and not hoping government will do it for them later.
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I will say that the US needs to stop being the world police officer.

Answer these questions...all these things were happening in the 90's under your hero's rule...but he spent billion upon billions in Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, and Kosovo (Almost 10 years of war compaired to 4)...ask yourself another question why are we still spending billions to stay in Korea? Or why do we send billions of dollars each year to Africa to help them fight AIDS and poverty...why are our celebrities adopting children from other countries, when there are children in the US that need homes...or why they want to give money to other countries and not help Americans...and almost all the celebrities talking about "Fighting World Poverty" are Liberal...why do they not help Americans instead of Africa?

It also sickens me how much of our taxes go to "help" the rest of the world and we ignore our own. The rest of the world is always clamoring for the rich Americans to bail them out, then criticize us on foreign policy.

It needs to stop, we need a true government for the people of the United States, not for the world.