Why are we spending so much on our military?

Question

We are spending about a half of our national budget on military/intelligence. Another third or so is spent on entitlements (which is another story, for another post). I pay about $4000 a year in income taxes (and also more for payroll taxes, but again that's another thread). What am I paying for with the income taxes? I suspect it's so that huge multinational corporations can maintain their profits. Any ideas?

For everyone who is complaining that we don't spend half our budget on military/intelligence, please understand that our military budget does not show up on your standard pie charts that the government shows you. Consider the costs for the VA (which are going to skyrocket in the future years), the costs for the CIA/NSA (at least the published costs - much of this is "black budget", so we will never know how much it costs) and the State Department. By the way, what do you think about the $400 million airlifted into Iraq in crisp, new $100 bills that were never accounted for?

Here's the current numbers - do the math.

Current Military
$727 billion:
• Military Personnel $136 billion
• Operation & Maint. $249 billion
• Procurement $111 billion
• Research & Dev. $70 billion
• Construction $10 billion
• Family Housing $4 billion
• DoD misc. $6 billion
• Retired Pay $52 billion
• DoE nuclear weapons $17 billion
• NASA (50%) $9 billion
• International Security $10 billion
• Homeland Secur. (military) $31 billion
• Exec. Office of President $1 billion
• other military (non-DoD) $1 billion
• plus ... anticipated supplemental war spending requests of $20 billion in addition to $141 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan wars already incorporated into figures above

Past Military,
$461 billion:
• Veterans’ Benefits $85 billion
• Interest on national debt $376 billion (80% est. to be created by military spending)

to be continued. . .

Continued. . .
Human Resources
$748 billion:
• Health/Human Services
• Soc. Sec. Administration
• Education Dept.
• Food/Nutrition programs
• Housing & Urban Dev.
• Labor Dept.
• other human resources.
General Government
$295 billion:
• Interest on debt (20%)
• Treasury • Government personnel • Justice Dept.
• State Dept.
• Homeland Security (17%)
• International Affairs
• NASA (50%)
• Judicial
• Legislative
• other general govt.
Physical Resources
$116 billion:
• Agriculture
• Interior
• Transportation
• Homeland Security (17%)
• HUD
• Commerce
• Energy (non-military)
• Environmental Protection
• Nat. Science Fdtn.
• Army Corps Engineers
• Fed. Comm. Commission
• other physical resources

Look it up for yourself. We clearly pay more than half of our federal taxes for defense. Does it make us safer?

Answer 1

There are three reasons. One is Clinton destroyed it to dangerous levels and we are having to rebuild it, two is Iraq, and three is Afghanistan.

Answer 2

With every day pass, our country is getting into more and more trouble. The inflation, unemployment and falling value of dollar are the main concern for our Government but authorities are just sleeping, they don’t want to face the fact. Media is also involve in it, they are force to stop showing the real economic situation to the people. I start getting more concern about my future as well as my family after watching the response of our Government for the people that affected by hurricane Katrina.

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Answer 3

So by your math we are spending about 83% of our national budget on the military.

Really? Hard to believe that when the military only makes up less than 1% of the population.

Even harder to believe when you compare the military budget of the 80's to what it is now. The comparitive budget in the 80's would be about 600% higher which means that we would be spending 480% of the national budget on the military in the 80's.

Even still harder to believe when you look at the GAO reports that say that only about 15% of the national budget is spent on the military.... including benefits.

I think that you are full of it.

But, if you don't like it.... exercise your right to vote and elect someone to change it. Or, move to a country that spends less on their military and enjoy your life of subjigation.


{edit} The CIA/NSA are not funded by the military. Neither is the VA. I still think that you are full of it.

The State Department is a completely seperate part of the government than the Defense Department.

My goodness.... if you are going to complain, at least have a clue about what you are complaining about.


To Captain Kidd below... have you ever had to rely on a survival radio? Maybe then you would appreciate it a little more rather than seeing it as a wasted expenditure. My guess is that you have never been out of your comfortable, air conditioned office.

Sorry, I have to throw the BS flag at you, but our security is not outsourced.... and the US government has never bought 40000 AK47s for the Iraqi forces.

If you truly are a commisioned officer, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Answer 4

We are not spending anywhere near half of our federal budget on the military. ...we are spending 25-30% at most.

As for "Why are we spending so much on our military?"
The primary function of any good government is to keep its people alive and free...that's what our military does for us.

And as for "I suspect it's so that huge multinational corporations can maintain their profits."
I wouldn't make such asinine assumptions in public unless you want to be looked down upon intellectually. Don't believe everything you hear from the parasites that are the media (most of them anyway).

EDIT:
Make up your mind and, most importantly, back up your asinine ramblings with a source of the things you claim.
"By the way, what do you think about the $400 million airlifted into Iraq in crisp, new $100 bills that were never accounted for?"
How do you know about it if it was never accounted for? Secret security clearance?

To Captain Kid below:
Marines aren't a private security force...Blackwater employees are.
Marines go in, take care of business, and stay only as their needed. They are not security guards, they are warriors.

Answer 5

It is nowhere near half of the budget. But why complain about that. We need the military. Why not complain about money that is actually wasted. Like a government grant for 4 million dollars to find out if mice suffer depression. HMMMM

Answer 6

We don't spend half on our military. Also, we have one of the lowest tax rates of the civilized world. Some countries pay about 35% of their income in taxes.

Answer 7

I love how people gripe about money spent to preserve the nation's sovereignty, yet they are all too excited to watch a football or basketball game in which each of the players makes upwards of a million dollars a year. It's priorities like that that makes you really wonder about where we are going as a country...

Answer 8

Wow, all you pay is $4000 a year. That means it takes 34 tax payers like yourself to pay my salary, (via the corporation that hired me) I get $136000 in iraq for doing a job that I would get $34000 in the states for. needless to say, i am happy with our current military spending. And I do not pay taxes because of my location.

Answer 9

Because Machine guns cost money.
Tanks cost money
Hum vees cost money
Air craft cost money
Uniforms cost money
Food costs money
Tents cost money
Sleeping bags cost money
Boots cost money

In the words of one of our greatest founding Father's
There are only 2 things in life which are gauranteed DEATH AND TAXES!
Be a good boy and pay your taxes.

Answer 10

We aren't spending anything like "half our national budget" on the military and/or intelligence. I believe the military budget make up about 19% of the entire federal budget.

Answer 11

OK make up your mind is it military /intelligence or multinational corporations?