US Defence Budget

[5thHorseman]

[Jackalope]

Not that I find our defense budget defensible, but you do have to consider that both education and law enforcement are (substantially) funded at the state and local level, and defense is funded at a federal level.

You can't get a complete picture by only looking at federal spending, you've also got to factor in state and local spending. With that factored in, the view is not quite so dismal.

[Justtristo]

That gives you an idea how much more the US is spending on their military compared to other countries. The US could halve it's military spending and still be spending much more than any other nation.

[tackattack]

And other countries seems like they're doing more with less at times. Even as a contractor for the DoD, I wish they'd at least half everything . Just grab that big red pen and start slashing costs.

[Anomalocaris]

Wow, I knew it was a ridiculous amount but compared to education and justice etc it's obscene.

Now i'm a bit more understanding of why some hate paying tax when you know it's going to Lockheed Martin and other defence (reads, attacks) douche's. Quite stunning.

Except those who are most vocal about not wanting to pay taxes wants to eliminate education all together, while sending more Lockheed Martin.

[Faith No More]

The thing that gets me is when programs go on the chopping block, the defense budget is never mentioned. Instead things like social security and Medicare get cut. The biggest lie the American people have swallowed is that this over-inflated dfense budget is necessary for the protection of our country and taking away even one dollar would jeopardize our safety.

[Minimalist]

Eisenhower ( the last decent republican ) warned us:

A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction.

Our military organization today bears little relation to that known by any of my predecessors in peacetime, or indeed by the fighting men of World War II or Korea.

Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But now we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense; we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Added to this, three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishment. We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations.

This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the militaryindustrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

We did not listen.

[LastPoet]

Logically speaking, the only reason to keep such heavy investment would be for expansion.To defense per se the US could have an impenetrable defense for half the cost and devote funds to education and labor. I shiver knowing some candidates have a shot at getting their hands on the biggest arsenal in human civilization.

[DeistPaladin]

Defense contractors have been careful enough to spread out production all over the country so any cuts to defense will cost local jobs for too many representatives.

We could solve all our budget problems by cutting defense in half, ending Bush's wars, increasing taxes on the top 1% so that revenue from that group is proportional to their share of the national wealth and have plenty left over for a good jobs and infrastructure repair program.

[Minimalist]

We could solve all our budget problems by cutting defense in half, ending Bush's wars, increasing taxes on the top 1%

You....you....you SOCIALIST!