If the USA can't afford to provide basic medical care and other such things, what exactly is its bloated military budget defending?

Sure the USA can afford all it desires! all it needs to do is go to the Federal Reserve Corporation and request any amount the central government needs. The Fed. is all to ready and willing to loan trillions upon trillions of "fiat" currency to the USA. Every time the central government borrows more currency the more the central government is indebt to the Fed. The goal is total destruction of the economy of not only the USA but all countries of the world. You and I and every American is owned by the Federal Reserve corporation.

It is defending your right to say BS like this.

the whole system is "off." mentally ill roam the internet and streets because mental institutions closed long ago. the poor are fed I assure you. No one needs to go hungry in the usa. anyone walking into an ER MUST be treated EVEN IF THEY DECLARE THEY CAN'T PAY, EVEN IF THEY ARE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. the government poured billions into the infrastructure recently to create work places. In my state many bridges were renewed and many streets were refurbished. The educational system is in a horrid situation. yes the military budget is an atrocity. money is squandered walking into sovereign countries.

massive multinational corporations.

The problem areas you noted are under democrat political influence, if not control. And, of course there are many more situations that are even worse because the democrat party control was stronger.That should lead you to conclude that there is a problem within the ideology and philosophy of the democrat party. The military is essentially defending what the democrat party has not yet corrupted and the nation has lost.

Another anti-American diatribe from you. Who are you to tell this or that government what they should do? Unless you imagine you know best. Hope you get a lot of enjoyment from putting us down. Read the U.S, Constitution, Declaration of Independence and they should address some of your concerns. And you may notice they say nothing about a lot of what you fancy the U.S. govt should be doing. Even if they (we) could afford it.