Why are we spending so much on the Military?

Question

To get an idea of Military spending worldwide, according to the CIA factbook, most third world countries spend between 5-10 Billion on their military, this includes Canada, Mexico, Brazil, etc. Secondary world powers are apt to spend in the mid double digits in billions (20-50), that included France, Germany and England, etc. The next closet are China and Russia who spend in the high double digits (60-100) in billions. How much does the US spend, mid TRIPLE digits, yes, over $400 BILLION, that's more than the majority of other countries COMBINED! And if you're wondering NO, that does not included war expenditures. If you factor in the cost of the war, we are upwards of $500 Billion dollars a year! Is this just me or does anyone else question where are this money is going to? Not to the soldiers, I know for a fact they don't get paid much. Anyone have any answers? No wonder we're in a deficit.

$500,000,000,000.00

I'm sorry but did you people actually look at the figures. We could spend half as much and still be double or triple what any other countries are spending. That's a lot of money to go to different programs, teachers, hospitals, cops, firefighters, and yes soldier pay to. You ever ask yourself where all this money goes to, if not to the soldiers? And btw, it's coming out of YOUR wallet you know.

Answer 1

I am extremely disspointed by the wasteful administration that is W and his neo-cons.

Basically America is spending 8 TIMES more on the military than every other country in the world combined due to the war on Iraq.
What bothers me is that we are financing it with skyrocketing national debt.

What even bothers me moreso is that we are seeing almost ZERO return. Sure the neo cons will argue that America is safer since 9/11, but the same case was made after America bombed Hiroshima and NAgasaki - that America would be safe because enemies would be too fearful to fight her. NOW LOOK WHERE WE ARE. At war with an unrelenting, vicious, evil enemy.

You want to know where the money is going?

LOCKHEED MARTIN and HALIBURTON mostly. As the largest defense contractors in the world, these comapnies are intent of developing OUTDATED Technology such as the F-22 Raptor.
Which will cost roughly $50 million dollar per jet -
[ note to pilot: NO EJECTION SEAT INCLUDED - bring that baby home !!!]

Why is the F22 outdated? Because no other country in the world has the air defense technology to fight it - let alone destroy it . And America allready has the finest aircraft in the world. Instead of doing what Europe does to update our fleets, we just build entirely new ones!

Weapons like this are based on outdated philosophies left over by the Cold War -as well as the entire neocon mentality.

Ask the ship builders who are still building American battleships why we are spending money on battleships when there are NO ENEMIES TO FIGHT ON THE SEAS !!!

Another reason we are spending so much in Iraq is due to the use and loss of military aircraft which costs thousands of dollars a day to operate, or the typical missiles that cost as much as houses.

Did you know a single AMRAAM AIM -120 missile costs $350,000?


Don't be hurt by all these stupid, ignorant neo-cons on Answers who are going to insult you and tell you to get out of America. Its time REAL Americans started asking these questions and demanding TRUTHFUL Leadership out of the Executive branch.

Since this fool Bush got in, gas prices have soared to CRACK PRICES and House prices have soared to MANSION prices.

How much longer will the American people have to suffer.

BTW many Americans believe the Bush Admnistration and the NeoCons were behind September 11th and used it to take over America's fears and minds. Considering that we HAVEN'T had any more attacks since 9/11 its possible that the Arabs never were really behind it anyway.

I also find it hard to believe that if America was really so scared of OSma Bin Ladin, dirty bombs etc, THAT WE WOULD HAVE WAITED SO LONG TO PATCH UP OUR BOARDER DEFENSE... seems to me its all a cover story spun and trumphed up to secure oligarchies of the rich.

Keep in mind that we haven't done ANYTHING in the past 6 years about IRAN or NORTH KOREA besides talk while they sharpen the tips on their nuclear missiles.
Trillions of dollars spent and not a damned thing to show for it except dead Americans.

Meanwhile America is becoming more and more isolated and hated by the rest of the world.

Its basically U.S. vs. THEM now.

Answer 2

I'm convinced it's because we're stupid.

It's hard to face the truth, but there's no need for about 60-80% of the things we spend money on in the military. To show you how exaggerated our military spending is, the whole of NASA is simply tacked onto a veteran's bill each year, it is such a small part of the whole.

After we've paid for enough weapons systems to blow the entire earth to smithereens 5 times, why must we keep buying new systems to do the same thing?

We've hopelessly complicated each process in the military, making ordering, payment, and even cancelling things take forever and cost a lot.

Answer 3

Logistics make a big part of it. our soldiers dont break for lunch and go eat at the corner deli in bagdad. they eat in the mess tent. also, they drink a lot of water. each soldier drinks about 12 liters a day. multiply that by every soldier over there by every day and you have HUGE airlifts of bottled water. add combat pay/hazardous duty pay to the normal soldier's salary. Yes, they get paid more to go to war.
about that 400 billion, that buys a military that is the best in the world. If politics were set aside, The US could take out both china and russia in a matter of weeks. We can put a million soldiers anywhere in the world in a matter of hours. no other country can say that. Even during peace time, every military member is training and making sure they are ready to do their part to kill whomever needs to be killed.

Answer 4

isn't it obvious? your military is working towards a global military control, why else would they be spending so much? it's not so much for protection because there are hardly any countries in the world that has a missile capable of reaching north america. only north korea really 'wants' to fire and is the closest(I'm rather sure they still can't) to hit the continent. Iraq nor Iran has the capability to hit the US, so if it was really for the protection of the US then they should be in north korea, not Iraq.
but they are most likely spending it all on reverse engineering

Answer 5

Because it's better to be prepared for everything, besides, it's in our nature, we fought each other and we will always do. Military powered countries have always ruled the world, it gives them power. Military has always been a big part of the technological race, and thaks to research, many things in our life have improved, just look around you a little bit.

Answer 6

The money is spent on weapons, developing weapons, training all the different forces and special ops, planes, fighter jets, ships, aircraft carriers, tanks, jeeps, humvees, helicopters, maintenance of all vehicles, flight and ship operations, other machinery, intelligence, fuel, bases, boot camps, payroll, food, transportation costs, uniforms, and anything else that is necessary to keep us safe so we can sit on Yahoo!Answers and question.

Answer 7

Come on, this is America, bigegr is better. Who wants to settle for ebign the worlds superpower and having the second best (or wore) military power

Answer 8

If we decrease home spending, we've got much less cash to spend on home techniques If we decrease army spending, we've got much less cash to spend on army techniques. The reverse if we develop both one. If we desired to develop home spending, we might modestly slash army spending with out compromising country wide defense.

Answer 9

Why don't you try to get your so called elected representative to take a pay cut, or better yet not receive pay?? Also, have you served in the Military?? If you have not you have no right to talk, just like those who complain about our Government yet they do not vote.

Answer 10

we are in the war bussiness and we sell more guns and arms than any other country in the world and the mines we left in SE asia will still be around for 150 years so think about that