How can some countries in peaceful regions like the US justify exorbitant military budgets?

Question

440 billion dollars plus a couple hundred billion more for Iraq and Astan every year is nuts. We live next to two relatively peaceful neighbors, and have no immediate need to spend all this money on war.

Canada is now looking at increasing their military spending with 17.1 billion dollars in upgrades, and increasing their budget to 30-35 billion within a few years, even though it has little to fear from any neighbor, unless Canadians think the US is a threat...but I won't go there.

Either way, North America is relatively peaceful, as are many other regions. Why the huge spending on war toys? Why do people think it does any good?

Look at the Maginot Line and the amount of money France poured into it. The Germans went around it and all that money went to waste, so even spending money for defense is questionable, at best.

What the hell are we, the Roman Empire? We HAVE to defend Japan...etc? Are those our colonies/subject lands or something?

Answer 1

The party that holds sway in this country owes large paybacks to the defense industries who put them in office ......not only that many of these senators and congressman own shares in these companies that how voting for these things are accomplished.If you thought it impossible to top the image of Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-CA) driving around a Rolls Royce and living on a yacht thanks to defense industry cash, just stop and take a look Lloyd Grove's story today in the New York Daily News. Yes, you are reading it right – a defense contractor has gotten so rich off taxpayer cash he actually held a $10 million bat mitzvah for his daughter, featuring 50 Cent, Tom Petty and Aerosmith, among others. That's right - a $10 million bat mitzvah.

What do the two stories have to do with each other? In their own ways, they each touch on a subject that we rarely ever discuss in America: defense industry profiteering.

We hear a lot out of Washington about how we need to cut programs for the poor and middle class, in order to deal with the deficit or finance new tax cuts. The rhetoric makes it seem as if these programs are the real culprit driving our country into oceans of red ink.

But a quick look at the numbers shows that it is defense/security spending that is soaring, while non-defense discretionary spending has been flat. For a more local view of how most of your tax dollars go to defense and not "social programs," just see the 2005 study by the National Priorities Project.

To be sure - there has been a real need to shift more resources into homeland security and other specialized programs targeting terrorists. But few can argue that the stink of defense industry profiteering hasn't been wafting out of Washington since the Bush administration took over. We've heard countless stories of private defense companies with connections to the Bush administration pocketing multi-billion dollar contracts and then overcharging our government. We've seen sweetheart deals that have raised the ire of nonpartisan watchdogs. And now, with Cunningham, we've gotten a glimpse at the pay-to-play auction that is going on the Defense Appropriations Committees. Even many necessary defense programs get sucked into this profiteering net, with defense contractors charging exorbitant prices for their goods/services.

Answer 2

Politics & the defense Industry
- read Pres Eisenhower's speech warning about the military-industrial complex. Because he was a retired 5-star general, he knew what he was talking about.
- the defense industry spreads its dollars, factories and subcontractors all around the 50 states. They have a lot of leverage over the congressmen to continue defense spending in so many districts.

The American people are fearful of losing soldiers, sailors and airmen in a war -- so it's alot easier to justify spending on new technology which keeps Americans out of harms way. Look at all the UAV and drones, as well as robots used by ground troops. At some point, we won't need any aircraft with pilots -- it can be all be done remotely.

The US economy is the largest in the world. A nation of 300 million people with a GDP in excess of $10 trillion - no other country even comes close. International trade requires keeping sea and air lanes open -- both for our exports as well as imports. That requires a huge naval presence to make sure nobody threatens sea lanes in the Suez Canal, Straits of Malacca (Singapore), Panama Canal or many other choke points.

I guess the alternative is stop spending so much on capabilities to project global power, pull up the gangplanks, and close the doors to foreigners. Let some other nation defend the world, and we can become totally isolationist. And then what will all the people whose jobs depend - directly and indirectly - on int'l trade do? Let's not think about that. Sounds like Pat Buchanan.

It is good that Canada is stepping up its defense spending - they can help patrol the Pacific and Atlantic coasts and take the load off the United States.

Thanks for an intriguing question. My head hurts a bit.

Answer 3

Because in todays day and age you can't wait till someone attacks you to start building up your military.

The Maginot line like all other purely defensive preperations before it didn't work because it was stationary. Defensive capabilities are useless. Your military has to have mostly offensive capabilities and the ability to reach out and touch the enemy at a great distance.

We could make P-51 Mustangs cheaper than we can F-15s. But today would you want to have P-51s guarding your sky? We could make Sherman tanks cheaper than M1A2 Abrams. But would you want to go to war in a Sherman or an Abram?

Answer 4

The best way to remain peaceful is to have the best way to defend oneself. A lot of the US military budget now goes toward terrorist defense. Iran and N. Korea and other hate-filled countries would love to develop the ability to attack the US. Maintaining the best strength and defense is the only way to remain as safe as possible. Besides, the US spends lots of money defending much of the rest of the world!

Answer 5

Darlin',
The Towers in New York ( and the other atrocious events of September 11) let us realize we are a target of hatred from many Countries.
We have to go out there and defend ourselves before THEY come here again!
The money is justified and righteous!

Canada and North America want to remain Free and Peaceful!

Thank GOD we have Leaders that are Pro active and not Re active!!

Answer 6

Welllll, we're peaceful BECAUSE of our military, and defense budget. I hate to sound cynical, but I suspect from the question that no amount of data supporting this view will be acceptable. A person covering his ears and shouting "NA-NA-NA-I can't hear you" Is able to cherry pick their info, and ignore everything else. It'd be awesome if we could spend money on nothing but milk and honey, but we truly don't live in that land. I wish we did, but our world's a brutal one, and being weak is good way of becoming conquered.

Answer 7

In modern warfare, the entire world has become one region.
Besides, terrorists do not respect borders or regions.

The US must also defend many other countries, including Japan, South Korea, etc.

The problem with the French is they didn't extend the wall into Belgium. They should have spent more, not less.

Answer 8

As the old saying goes, "You ain't seen nothin' yet!" Before George Bush leaves office, the surplus in the treasury he found when he took office, the balanced budget he found when he took office, will be but a ghost. He has put this country into bankruptcy, just as he did every company he ever had anything to do with.

Answer 9

Uh, because America has to go and start fights all over the world. We are like a big brother, we like to pick on others.
WAR = BIG MONEY.

pinoyscrewer-uh, do you mean: 9/11? 7/11 is a convenience store.

Answer 10

Some people would like to protect this land of the proud and the free....unfortunantly it takes a lot of money, especially right now.