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We can solve the deficit problem easily enough by just cutting our military spending in half. We would still be spending more than any other nation on Earth for national defense, but if we cut it in half we can easily afford to rebuild our own country's infrastructure and dig ourselves out of debt at the same time.
As it stands now, we spend nearly the same amount as the rest of the world combined! Maybe it's time we start letting France and Germany pay for their own national defense! I'm getting a little tired of paying high taxes so that we can maintain a standing Army in Europe 60 years after WWII, while at the same time the French spend almost nothing on national defense, but can afford to give all their schoolkids laptops.
After a 30 - minute fit of laughter, I contained myself, and then began to think, "What if we just turned over our national security to Iran and North Korea?" We wouldn't have to spend a dime on defense spending then... matter of fact, we wouldn't have to worry about putting a budget together at all. We'd just need to spend our time learning two new languages.
After a 30 - minute fit of laughter, I contained myself, and then began to think, "What if we just turned over our national security to Iran and North Korea?" We wouldn't have to spend a dime on defense spending then... matter of fact, we wouldn't have to worry about putting a budget together at all. We'd just need to spend our time learning two new languages.
It's this kind of irrational fear-based politics that has led to the US no longer being a world leader in terms of technology and infrastructure. I am so tired of neoconservative cowardice governing our national security policy. What do you honestly think the chance are of Iran or North Korea conquering the United States are?!!!! THINK ABOUT IT!
We spend too much money on national defense. That's a fact. We spend over a trillion every year trying to "project" power around the globe. Why don't we allow our allies to pick up some of that cost and scale back a little so that we can take care of our domestic needs? We have serious problems in this country that need to be handled. Let's stop basing our military spending on irrational fears and start basing it on what it was based on prior to WWII - national defense. Enough with the stealth submarines already. They don't work all that well in Afghan caves anyways.
It's this kind of irrational fear-based politics that has led to the US no longer being a world leader in terms of technology and infrastructure. I am so tired of neoconservative cowardice governing our national security policy. What do you honestly think the chance are of Iran or North Korea conquering the United States are?!!!! THINK ABOUT IT!
We spend too much money on national defense. That's a fact. We spend over a trillion every year trying to "project" power around the globe. Why don't we allow our allies to pick up some of that cost and scale back a little so that we can take care of our domestic needs? We have serious problems in this country that need to be handled. Let's stop basing our military spending on irrational fears and start basing it on what it was based on prior to WWII - national defense. Enough with the stealth submarines already. They don't work all that well in Afghan caves anyways.
I hate it when folks think that us "Neoconservatives" are cowardly when we say we want a large military. Wanting to ensure that our country is safe is not a cowardly action.
How can you say we spend to much money on national defense? How is that a fact? When you say this, it is your opinion, please try to refrain from passing off your opinions as fact.
Now as to your concept of cutting military spending in order to reduce the deficit, it could provided the money wouldn't be spent somewhere else instead of going towards deficit reduction.
As to letting our allies handle some of the load, we don't for one plain and simple reason.... We don't trust them. We either don't trust them to not eventually stab us in the back or we don't trust them to actually be able to hold up their end of the bargain. The reason we have such a huge military is two fold, it allows us to help any ally in the world quickly, and more importantly it reminds our enemies (and yes, we have enemies) that we can show up at their doorstep in just a few short hours and totally ruin their whole day.
Now let us look at this economically, we spend what a trillion dollars all told towards the military. This includes normal budget, combat spending in Iraq and Afghanistan (btw, where did the war protesters go?), upkeep and maintenance of nuclear weapons, and finally health care and dependent care. I know, you are thinking "cut it in half! Reduce the deficit!" But stop and think about what that would do.
If we cut military spending in half we would taking 500 Billion dollars out of the economy each year. That is an amount equal to 63 percent of the stimulus package that was passed this year. You know the one designed to help us get out of the recession. If you reduced government spending by that much you will effectively destroy our economy.
So, this is my opinion based on educated reasoning, cutting military spending in half is not only a bad idea, but in fact a horrible idea.
Before you start cutting funding from one of the few functions the federal gov't is actually supposed to be doing per the constitution, let's start by cutting all the "optional" stuff first.
If we cut military spending in half we would taking 500 Billion dollars out of the economy each year. That is an amount equal to 63 percent of the stimulus package that was passed this year. You know the one designed to help us get out of the recession. If you reduced government spending by that much you will effectively destroy our economy.
So it makes sense to spend many billions on defense because it is good for the economy? Then why not spend ALL of it on defense?
Defense spending is the biggest waste of money that could exist. Peace requires no capital outlay, it is completely free. But a large amount of fear is what justifies the need for a defense establishment that has done absolutely nothing but killed people in foreign lands for the benefit of elitists who've never held a gun. The only people who like defense spending are those who are the most afraid. But I thought the whole point of being defended was to cast aside those fears! When will people learn that peace is free? After their last dime is spent and the land is barren?
So you are looking forward to another 9/11 type attack with a large mushroom cloud rising from the ashes of a major U.S. city?
The reason we haven't been attacked since 9/11 is because the military has been sticking it up our enemies A$$....
The French also have a full Nuke Arsenal and have their own problems...
Scare tactics work on sheep only... alot of military spending is done with oversea bases... I think people like the idea of an American "Empire" rather an American country... the necessity of an Empire for safety is laughable...
So it makes sense to spend many billions on defense because it is good for the economy? Then why not spend ALL of it on defense?
Defense spending is the biggest waste of money that could exist. Peace requires no capital outlay, it is completely free. But a large amount of fear is what justifies the need for a defense establishment that has done absolutely nothing but killed people in foreign lands for the benefit of elitists who've never held a gun. The only people who like defense spending are those who are the most afraid. But I thought the whole point of being defended was to cast aside those fears! When will people learn that peace is free? After their last dime is spent and the land is barren?
And here's half a peace sign for you and those like you. "Give peace a chance" didn't work during the 60s and 70s (my war). It didn't work under Carter and the hostage crisis. It won't work with Al Quaida or the Taliban any more than it has worked with Hezbolla, the PLO or any one of hundreds of radical, terrorist groups throughout the world.
It really must be nice to live in a comfortable pink bubble wafting here-and-there but most unfortunately, we live in a dangerous world in dangerous times.
We can solve the deficit problem easily enough by just cutting our military spending in half. We would still be spending more than any other nation on Earth for national defense, but if we cut it in half we can easily afford to rebuild our own country's infrastructure and dig ourselves out of debt at the same time.
As it stands now, we spend nearly the same amount as the rest of the world combined! Maybe it's time we start letting France and Germany pay for their own national defense! I'm getting a little tired of paying high taxes so that we can maintain a standing Army in Europe 60 years after WWII, while at the same time the French spend almost nothing on national defense, but can afford to give all their schoolkids laptops.
by cutting the military by 50% and using the money to get rid of the deficit would be all and good if it happened, but politicians being what they are would spend that same money on more entitlement programs.
if you cut all military spending by 50%, all welfare and welfare to other countries and businesses by 50%, plus make legislation that federal and state money shall not be paid out to anyone or anything in the form of any entitlements, then we might just might get rid of the deficit.
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Maybe it's time we start letting France and Germany pay for their own national defense! I'm getting a little tired of paying high taxes so that we can maintain a standing Army in Europe 60 years after WWII, while at the same time the French spend almost nothing on national defense, but can afford to give all their schoolkids laptops. 
We have serious problems in this country that need to be handled. Let's stop basing our military spending on irrational fears and start basing it on what it was based on prior to WWII - national defense. Enough with the stealth submarines already. They don't work all that well in Afghan caves anyways. 
