How about cutting military spending in half ?

Question

It would save about 250 Billion. With said Billions one could easily fund medicare for the whole nation AND have enough left over to
a) start paying off the national debt
b) give aid to third world countries. Not in the form of direct money, but in the form of helping them to become self-sufficient.

The U.S. military still would be the mightiest on earth and perhaps would have less reason to flex its muscle constantly (if you spend 500 Billion on the military you better use it, otherwise how the hell do you justify it ?)

I asked the question in three categories (Military, Economics and Religion) to see whether, and if so by how much, the answers are different.

If you calculate the Military Budget, interest on past military spending (debt service), extra money spend on the Iraq and Afghanistan war and Veterans benefits, military spending comes to almost 1/2 of the total budget. The 'official" budget forgets to include the last the expenditures in the official chart...

Silly Me : your half-brained suggestions fit your standard.

fishergirl
I don't know what to laugh at first - your total lack of understanding when it comes to history (regarding for example Japan), math (the U.S. spends more than the next 20 biggest spenders together) or commons sense (who said to destroy all weapons ?). My god, please take of your blinders and look at reality - and not the force-fed phantasy world of your political party.

Answer 1

Great idea! But why stop at half? Japan has a constitution that limits military spending to 1% of GDP and managed to piss off remarkably few people (the worst-ever case of terrorism in Japan killed 12 people, was purely domestic and involved a religious cult). Switzerland has a very similar record (1% of GDP spent on defence with no noticeable terrorist activity). The U.S. spends more than four times that, which seems to achieve exactly one thing: anger every idiot with an agenda into making bombs and hijacking airplanes...

Answer 2

Ok lets face it during peace time the military is not funded at 500 billion. The war in Iraq and the consequent government expenditures on the military helped pull the economy out of recession. In point A)

It is not the national debt that has any impact on americans it is the cost of the national debt ie the intereston it and unless this rises to more than 5% of GDP the effect is minimal at best currently the effect of the debt hovers around 3%.

Point B, why te hell should we be shelling out to third world countries? These are the places that tend to grow a number of the worlds terrorists. Let the Bill and Melinda Gates ofte world take care of the third world.

Answer 3

with the obvious exception of atom dog I agree whole heartily. When it comes to the military budget you better leave well enough alone. There are an awful lot of our people in very hot spots right now. Personally I want them to have everything in our arsenal and more available to them.

If people like you continue to work for reducing our military budget you might find yourself living in an occupied country. I can assure you Iran and certain other middle east countries (not to mention China, Russia and North Korea) are not about to cut their military budget. Detente works. It's been proven. Maintaining a balance of power in this world seems to fall on us whether we want it to or not. Lobbying, protesting, and dissing President Bush will not change that. By doing so we keep our own country free. So many people forget that. If we destroyed all our weapons and declared to the world that we would no longer participate in their squabbles nor would we support our allies in their efforts toward freedom, just how long do you think it would be before the world was sitting on our doorsteps in an all out military action to reduce us to second class citizens and maybe even worse, slaves. Does this sound a little hysterical to you? Good -- I meant for it to. Our military is our guarantee of life liberty and our pursuit of happiness.

By the way -- Japan is a small crowded island nobody really wants anyway. So they really do not need a huge military. As a matter of fact after WWII they were forbidden to have more than a defensive force anyway.

DEAL WITH IT!!!!!

Answer 4

How about you actually TALK to someone who's lived in Iraq, or Afgainstan like my brother in law who had his toes pulled off by Sadam? How about you grow some balls and put YOUR LIFE on the line instead of whining about how much this costs?

Interesting you like to use the First Admendment to post your article but you're afraid- like Ben Franklin said- of using the Military to SUPPORT that freedom.

Even the communists have a saying that "The power of revolution comes out of a barrel" Mau Ts Tng, 1939

Answer 5

Let's cut your pay in half, and if you need the cops at your house to get rid of a murderer, we'll send them half the time. I say double the military budget and get rid of all forms of welfare. (funny nobody calls it welfare anymore, when that's exactly what it is). If your little mind can get the cut in half done, I've got a better idea for the left over cheese, PUT IT BACK IN MY POCKET!!

Answer 6

How are we going to do that when our El Presidento wants to jump on every country. He's the biggest nib-s*it that I have ever seen. Worse than a gossiping old woman.

Makes me want to bite his leg.

Charity begins at home Larry

Answer 7

You lost me when you said you want to cripple or defences in order to give the money to foreigners. Democrat?

Answer 8

Thomas Jefferson said it best - at least I think it was him, but I know it was one of the founding fathers: "Pounds for defense, but not a penny for tribute."

Answer 9

A MILITARY IS NECESSARY WITH THE PRESENCE OF EVIL EMPIRES; IN THE ABSENT EVIL EMPIRES ITS NECESSITY WOULD BE ?