From the article: FY 2013 Military Budget: How Defense Spending Affects the Economy
National security spending has risen from $600 billion after 9/11, to $700 billion for the War on Terror. Homeland security, and the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya have increased that price tag to $893 billion in FY 2012 -- more than any other budget line item. Can the U.S. really afford this cost? Is security really our nation’s highest priority for scarce discretionary funds? How much should the U.S. spend on national security? Share your opinion. What Do You Think?
Cut military spending.
- I would think we could cut our Military spending by AT LEAST 50%. We have thousands of nuclear weapons. Does anyone ever think that even we will be stupid enough to use them? If another country starts a nuclear war, it would be all over for them in hours, and maybe for us too, in a different way. With 1 to 1 1/2 Trillion spent on the military per year - around HALF of the entire worlds military budgets combined - it is absolute insanity. With that kind of money we could solve the world's energy problems. Generate most of our energy needs with Solar, Wind, Tidal or Geo Thermal. Or all of it with Nuclear Fusion, almost unlimited, clean energy. Instead of pointing weapons at everyone, help them solve their problems. We would have a lot more friends! Just a thought.
- —Guest David
la sécurité sociale aux usa
- bonjour de belgique, j'ai toujours pensé qu'une absence de sécurité sociale garantie par la solidarité nationale,était une grave lacune à l'égard du peuple américain,qui sur le plan de la considération méritait mieux que ce qui lui est offert actuellement.Que cet etat de faits d'origine idéologique,capitaliste demeure une lacune très importante. un camouflet fait au peuple.surtout que son influence sur le taux de profif est restreinte par les avantages en retour qu' elle peut dispenser.Tant qualitativement que qantitativement.Elle fait chuter drastiquement la délinquance liée à la pauvreté.pour conclure la somme allouée mensuellement ne devrait pas dépassé les25-30% du revenu brut(voir convention avec le corps médical).je reste persuadé qu'il faudra à monsieur le président de cette grande nation beaucoup de tenacité et d'autorité.Biens à vous
- —Guest warmoes
Why?
- The US will spend $900 billion next year on "defence". Why? It's two possible rivals, Russia and China, will spend less than $200 billion. Spending twice as much as do they can, perhaps, be defended. But who is the other half trillion directed against? As the reader may have guessed, I am not a US citizen. I live in a country with resources the US needs. Can I expect the bellicose House of Representatives to come looking here for more none-existant WMDs? Is this why the US needs to be such a massive military power, so that it can take what it wants from whomever it wishes to rob, whenever it wishes to do so? If that be the basis for the so-called National Security expenses, then is $900 billion enough? Will that allow you to defeat the entire united population of the rest of the world? Just what are you buying -- in the bigger scheme of things -- with that money? Must I remind you that you make few friends by pointing guns at them?
- —John Eh
Budget Cuts
- The defense budget should be reduced by $300 billion or more resulting in a saving of $3 trillion over next ten years to be applied to debt reduction. Spending almost 48% of Worldwide Defense spending is IDIOTIC but then what can we expect from those MORONS in Washington?
- —Guest Karolus
US Business Model
- Military spending is USA's most developed business model - all this billions (1200bn!) end up in someones (few citizens) pockets! As long as the poeple / tax payers believe in USA selfmade and well maintained security threats it will sustain until it will finally the systems implodes. As any other competive civil industry in US detoriated over the past decades USA government tries to keep this concept alive as long as possibel. It is even worse as most other countries on this small planet have changed and are developing fast. USA stucks in pre-Vietnam times with regards to infrastracture, education and social services and more scared/paranoid then ever.
- —Guest MM
Insane defense spending.
- The US spends roughly 650 billion a year on defense. We spend as much as almost all the other countries in the world do. To have troops stationed in wealthy countries such as Germany, Japan, and S. Korea is insane. How much do they pay us for this protection? Putting 2 wars on credit cards is insane. The country is 14.5 trillion in debt.
- —Guest Eric Johnson
EMPIRE
- MILITARY + DEBT ENDED EMPIRES 6700 VERSUS 300 300 SPEND MORE ON KILLING MACHINES THAN 6700 IS WE LEARNING?
- —Guest CLARENCE SWINNEY
Private Sector vs Military Spending
- I think that for every dollar we spend on Military Defense, one dollar is taken out of the private sector. When you start taking dollars from the private sector, that is the primary cause of unemployment, poverty and recession.
- —Guest Don
derivatives
- No one ever mentions the derivative market that the us and other countries are signed onto. The us share according to Bloomberg is $645 trillion. The entire derivative market is $1,500 trillion. This is an impossibly large amount. The dollar is doomed. There is no way out except to write off this paper debts made by the likes of Goldman Sachs and jp Morgan.
- —Guest julian
Funding!
- If the government must spend billions on security, so be it. If they implement my idea of growing, harvesting, and selling trees it could help with funding. I can hardly wait to hear that they will do this. Tree money and taxes can be the funding. It is very important.
- —Guest Marty Boone
Need strategy shift
- The DOD summary indicates that, although still horribly inefficient, procurement and management are improving. Could be better? Sure. But we won't really save desperately needed resources without changing our cooperative minds about what we expect from "security" spending. We need to do that reassessment in plain view of our neighbors so that any resulting real security holes can be cooperatively addressed. And we need to use the resources we save by such a scaling back, to invest in ALL OF US, so that we're not securing some hollow shell but actually what's really valuable: the pursuit of happiness.
- —Guest Granzo
Fascism
- Common to All faschist regimes is more focus ón killing than ón healing. US military spending is an utter disgrace and proof of Americas descent from freedom to fascism.
- —Guest Hank
On war for them
- American doing war currently for Isreail . Anything but for Isreail. How stupidity should be used for people only know greed and ego just to influenced other nation doing war for them in the name war on terror. Mark my words what do you people would get but nothing only big debts and difficult economy will be the fact. Stop doing wars establish your nation . Attitude of greedy always destroying others people life?
- —Guest Ogaga
Cut Defense Waste-Not blame Medicare
- The days of the $1000 hammer are not over. Once a military project is set up, it needs to be evaluated for usefulness and, if needed, quickly discarded if not successful. I believe in a strong military and national quard. I think we are going to need them It is the waste and corruption in defense spending as well as the waste and corruption in Medicare that needs to be addressed. Not cut Medicare benefits and not cut needed defense spending. Greed and power always creates problems. First Wall Street Corporations and corrupt poliiticians put our country into potential financial armageedon by their greed. Now Medicare and our military will suffer from the corruption and greed of those who would cheat, lie and steal. I love America and am proud to be American. But, big bankers, corporations and corrupt politicians bought by lobbyists and others was out downfall--and continues to be our downfall. Look to our so-called Free Press which is only Corporate sponsored proproganda!
- —Guest Gianya
Cut defense spending by 50%
- The arrogance of the US to continue to justify our role as policeman of the world will certainly be one of the prime catalysts of our demise. A public is controlled through emotional issues and our government uses them very well. 9/11 has cost this country more than 2 trillion dollars counting the 'wars' and all of the rediculous security. Osama Bin Laden 'WON', the unbelieveable part is that he did it with 19 guys with 'box cutters'.............yes, I said 'box cutters', not some sophisticated weaponry as seen in a Scifi movie. Why didn't we just put locked steel doors on the cockpits? I am sickened by the lack of common sense of the constituency of America..........I guess we will eventually get what we deserve. Sadly, Doug Ralston
- —Guest h
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