should america cut military spending and use the money for social programs?

Question

I think we could cut the military and better spend the money else wear. Who cares about schools in Iraq we need to help our school here. Who cares about the South Korean border we have our own to protect.

Answer 1

I do believe you need a balance.. but if we would be smarter about what we do with our military we wouldn't need as large of a standing military... then we could put money back into the nation to fix our schools and help better the social issues we face, as well as advance sciences.. including those that would help protect this nation without the loss of human life (or at least limit it)... but that would be the best thing to do for our nation as opposed to our politicians.. so don't expect it to happen :(


cynthiatweedle- Not trying to knock your intentions.. but the no child left behind program is a fraud.. it sounds great but it's not.. the "numbers" they used to try and make it look good only focused on the top 50% of the children in the schools it was piloted in and there was some improvement in those children... but in the schools as a whole there was marked worsening.. the drop out rate and test scores were much worse than they were before it was piloted in Texas. Coordinated School Health is a much better program if you are looking for something for your schools... in the schools that have used it the drop out rates have fallen from in the 20%'s to less than 1% and the teen pregnancy rates and arrest rates have shown the same decline. It is very similar to the School of the 21st Century program which has also shown some great results.

Answer 2

In my opinion military spending is not what's crippling this country financially. In the dangerous world we live in, cutting military spending would be suicide.

Our open borders and not enforcing our immigration laws has suffocated us with millions of illegals who are enjoying our entitlements (food stamps, HUD, SSI, free education, free medical, WIC, free birthing in our hospitals plus we pay the mother child support for having the baby via SSI payments, courtesy of our federal tax dollars.) Once an amnesty is granted, it'll be 100% worse, millions more poor uneducated will come here along with many middle class migrants to make a quick million while we pay their bills.

Locally a large family with 4 valuable anchor babies (which represents more than 2 thousand a month in cool tax free money for the parents), climb out of an expensive new vehicle, wearing designer clothes. They just ate at their favorite restaurant, walk into the grocery store, pay for 3 over flowing carts of groceries with food stamps. Load their new SUV up with their free loot and head for their free HUD housing to unload as they plan how one of the parents will miss work the next day since one of them will need to sit in our local free emergency room for most the night with little Jose who has the sniffles.

And we wonder why this country is going broke? We don't need more social programs, we need to learn how to say NO.

Answer 3

No, unfortunately we still need the military to protect us and our allies from bad guys everywhere, especially since we have created more terrorists than originally existed. What we can do however, is stop the war and use the billions we save there to clean up our own backyards. And while we're at it, we can revert back to the principle we used to have of not invading another sovereign state without due cause.

No more militarily inexperienced cowboys...please!

Answer 4

What does it count number if we spend all our funds on social classes if there are not any human beings alive to exploit those reward? 9/eleven must have shown us that once human beings say they prefer to kill us, they advise it. reducing the militia will in straight forward words effect in better useless individuals. So back I ask you; what sturdy are social classes if there are human beings death in the streets? might want to you fairly be poor and alive, or wealthy and useless? there is also the actual undeniable actuality that each and every one social classes are inherently undesirable for society and immoral. despite the indisputable fact that, your question change into strictly when it comes to militia spending vs social spending, so i will save that communicate for yet over again.

Answer 5

NO!! There are tons of charities out there more than willing to help. People should NEVER expect the govt to take care of them - it won't happen. Too large of a bureaucracy. Besides, I really believe that the Clinton cuts to the military and intel agencies are part of why we're in the mess we're in right now overseas. When you hear about our troops not having proper armor, etc., that's thanks to 8 years of budget cuts. A strong military is an absolute necessity, now more than ever. Islamic extremists want you to convert or die - and I am NOT wearing a burka.

As to our schools, the problem isn't a lack of funds - it's how the funds are spent.

* Fiction : The United States does not spend enough on education.
* Fact : The United States spends more than $500 billion on K-12 schools. Internationally, it is the big spender. One of the top three in per-pupil spending, the U.S. rises to first place when post-secondary spending is added to the equation. But in terms of achievement, American students are not at the head of the class. A June 2004 report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development compares educational systems and their outcomes in over 30 countries. It's a sobering view for those who want the facts. Highlights of the report can be found here. 1

* Fiction : The federal government has cut funding for education.
* Fact : The federal government spends more than ever. Funding for major K-12 programs, including the No Child Left Behind Act and special education, increased by 43 percent over the past three years. Head Start funding has reached an all-time high at $6.8 billion, special education grants have seen a 59 percent increase in the past four years, and there has been a $3.25 billion increase in Pell Grant funding for higher education students.

While research suggests no connection between spending and achievement, no one can make the claim that taxpayers do not spend enough. In fact, states may have found themselves with more money than they know what to do with. According to the chairman of the House Committee on Education, states have billions of unspent federal funds, some of it left over from the Clinton administration. For more information on federal spending see the House Committee on Education and the Workforce's new website entitled No Child Left Behind Implementation Station lists these facts and more. 2

* Fiction: The academic status quo is acceptable.
* Fact : Only 31 percent of fourth graders are proficient in reading and 32 percent are proficient in mathematics on the nation's own national indicator of student achievement -- the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Low-income fourth graders score at half this level. By the 12 th grade, less than a quarter of students are proficient in math, history, or science. For more NAEP results click here. 3

* Fiction : Parental choice programs harm public schools.
* Fact : School choice programs improve the education experience of individual students while encouraging public school systems to improve. Research from Harvard shows many students benefit academically from charter schools and voucher programs. Harvard and Manhattan Institute researchers have tracked improvements to the public school system spurred by competition with choice schools. Even the modest public school choice programs under the No Child Left Behind Act show promise. A recent study showed Chicago students who transferred to other public schools outpaced their peers who remained at poor performing schools. These studies and others can be found here. 4

Answer 6

At least the military can be used to protect the country.

Cutting foreign aid should be a higher priority than cutting military spending.

Answer 7

If you ever have the opportunity to visit America or come as a tourist. You will see that we are not a military dictatorship like you think.

Go big Red Go

Answer 8

It depends on where they are cutting. If they cut from Homeland Security - Hell No!!! If they cut from the war in Iraq - fine.

Answer 9

No, not at this time. And it would depend on what social programs you are referring to. I would like to see the "No Child Left Behind" program better funded.

Answer 10

my cousin has a bumper sticker that says "It will be a great day when schools have all the money they need, and the air force has to hold a bake sale to get money for a new bomber"