Is the balance of military and civilian spending in the USA right ?

Answer 1

No, the military is a giant pork trough for connected entities.

We spend as much as the entire rest of the world, COMBINED, for military spending.

Think about that. Who are we protecting ourselves from that they would be able to match or overcome that? It suggests two things -

#1 - We're overspending relative to risk.

#2 - No amount of spending will protect us from the kind of risks we face.

The drain on our military now is the result of not defensive actions, but actions aimed at imposing dominance in what can be termed an imperialistic fashion. Read work from the neo-cons at the Project for a New American Century and tell me that's not the case.

Add in the billions in "cost overruns", the over a trillion in funds that are lost or unaccounted for by the Pentagon over the past couple of decades, the billions missing in Iraq, the general fraud and abuse that goes on and there's no doubt we spend too much on our military.

And, yes, we aren't spending enough on non-military spending.

If we reduced our military outlays, no, we wouldn't be able to beat our chests, posture and bully other nations as much. We might have to compromise, look at things from their point of view, and engage in actual discussions and diplomacy. I'm not sure that's a bad thing.

Answer 2

The primary role of the federal government is to keep us safe from foreign attack. This is where the bulk of our military spending goes. Some goes into keeping the rest of Europe and parts of Asia safe! Most countries we have bases in cannot protect themselves from attack so the United States does it. Another very important role the military does is it keeps our economic interests safe by protecting the majority of worlwide trade routes, this is of particular interest to the middle class.
The government of this country should never be the supplier of economic goods and services, innovations, and technology. This belongs to the private sector. The government should and does provide a minimum safety net for those who are disadvantaged, not for those who make poor decisions in their life. I do not want to be held responsible for your mortgage because you decided to have one more child than you could afford!! I do not want to pay for your chemo-therapy because you chose to smoke, or your obesity because the pie tasted sooo good! The less government spends socially, the more freedom we all can have!
Finally to answer the question, government is spending too much on both, give me back my money I can do better and more with it than can any government institution!

Answer 3

There is no right answer here. It all depends on the circumstances in the world in which we live in. What constitutes civilian spending ? If you mean social programs, then we need only to help the ones that cannot help themselves. Do not forget that socialism is in play in Europe and most of the time it has not worked.

Answer 4

If the government replaced into no longer so grasping and stored attempting to purchase votes by utilising stealing from the working inhabitants we does not want any of those courses....different than the militia to shield the rustic which incorporate the borders of this u . s . no longer each and each of the distant places international places around the area... they're potential hungry mongrels (the Congress and the White residing house are crammed with rabid canines who infect everybody with there rabies, who enter the two branch of government) in D.C. and have been because of the fact the 1950's. i think of it's time to tell the government to pass pound sand...end sending "Our" tax money distant places...end helping the UN...and enable We the folk come to a determination how appropriate to spend our no longer ordinary earned money!!!!!

Answer 5

from my position (military) no .. there cannot be enough money for all those gizmoes we like to have

from my position as a taxpayer ...too much money for the military.

from my position as a citizen of the US there would be enough money for all, if we as a nation would not always try to outperform other natons in showing them how cool we are.
cause this is why other nations start pointing their finger at us and say.. uh look at those idiots .. soo much power, but no light.

soo basic outcome of this:
if our point of view about the rest of the world would be like the point of view other nations once had (repeat HAD) about us. and if our foreign politics would be wiser we won't have a debate like this at all

Answer 6

America is at war, spending is right where it should be. One need only look back in history to see evidence of this.

Answer 7

No...we are spending way too much on foreigners, both in our country and out.... while many Americans are doing without the necessities!

Answer 8

No, plain and simple. There is a shortage of affordable homes, that effects even our middle class citizens.

Answer 9

No, it is not well-balanced especially when we consider space exploration and star war system as part of such spending!

Answer 10

LOL! That's pretty funny, but didn't you mean to post this question under the "Joke" category?