Should America reduce the defense budget?
America spends and average $600 Billion in military spending annually, more than any other nation in the world. This is actually more than the next 8 countries combined in military spending, 5 of which are close military allies. Would America be better served reducing the budget in favor of creating more social programs in America or maintaining its military strength? Does America's large military allow it to police the world or has it made us a target for aggression?
Which is mandated by the U.S. Constitution.......defense spending OR "entitlement" spending?
Defense. If you asked Obama which one was more important he would say entitlement.
How can India afford to waste Rs 89,000 crore on defence budget when many people are dying of poverty?
Since, you can use limited characters for the headline of your question,that's why had to select such an immature headline for this question just to get 'QUICK ATTENTION' ***The real question is why both India & Pakistan can't realize that the amount of money that they are wasting on defence budgets can so easily & successfully be used to solve so many problems of our people. India is spending way too much money on defence just to compete with China. Pakistan is no competition now bcz their defence budget is very 'DWARF' as compared to India's foolish defence budget, Isn't it enough now? We have enough weapons now to take control of Pakistan then why are we bothering about USA & China. It seems to me that India now is in a serious mood of competiting with US,Russia & China in defence department. Is it required? Is it that important for us to use our precious money for buying weapons instead of helping our poor people. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~... The recent article in the New York Times on India’s defense has some eye-popping numbers. The main news event is, India is looking to buy new fighter planes, and may spend as much as $10 billion on them. American arms manufacturers are chomping at the bit, especially as there are probably other big arms purchases in the pipeline. (For reference, last year’s entire defense budget is between $20-25 billion, according to this source; it may be an underestimate, however.)
Do we think we spend too little or too much on military in the US?
To being I would like to clarify that I consider myself an American, Christian, Social-Democrat. That puts me left of center in politics.I never served in the military. My career has been 25 years in higher education.My brother did. He told many stories about his experience which were about maleficence than heroism.When it comes to war, I wrote my congressmen and spoke out against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq 2. I am as aware of American atrocities of war as the next person and wish that justice had been done.The political manipulation of the military budget on pork barrel projects for congressmen is painful.But, as I consider the question, “Do I think the US Military budget is too little or large?” or how much is enough for the US military, I must confess that while I may wish to trim spending here, and increase it there, I’m not ready to cut back on the military spending as a whole.The US military is a police force for a world of nearly eight billion people.The US military responds to natural disasters all over the world. It’s among the first and most robust to deliver food and humanitarian aid.When the UN calls for peace keeping troops, the US is a major contributor to transport and logistics. When the operation is elevated to a call for enforcement more demanding than peace keeping, it’s the US that steps to lead the operations.The US military operates a space program at least as large as NASA, a cyber security operation that rivals Apple or Microsoft, an Oceanographic Program at least as large as the US Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, cutting edge research into medical trauma, portable energy, aeronautics, ocean submersibles and number of other programs, the Army Corps of Engineers which safeguards America’s water reclamation program, building roads, bridges around the world.It does this with about 2,000,000 personnel, employing additional civilians, on 800 bases across 70 countries.The cost has been a frightening $600 to $700 billion per year. That comes to about $20 per American. It’s less than 10 cents per person across the world.Again, I cannot agree with everything the US military has done and is about. I would like to tweak the budget on various military programs, and find ways to get more for the money.But, on the whole, I think the US is getting a bargain.
Why do people think military spending is a waste?
Military spending is not a waste. It is a vital ingredient of our national security.However, the manner in which the U.S. spends money in the Military Industrial Complex is extraordinarily wasteful.The Military Industrial Complex has been financed by a National Debt that has ballooned to nearly $20 Trillion.U.S. National Debt Clock : Real TimeAlthough not particularly profitable, Defense companies pass on millions in overhead and G&A to the taxpayer on cost plus and time and material contracts.Profitability has never been a strong suit of these corporations in terms of their defense business segments, but they expense the costs of their executive suites in their G&A rates and cost center overhead rates.The Military Industrial Complex of the Unites States passes on operating cost in the billions and they lobby the government to undertake incursions in order to sell supplies and services for just that reason.Every major aerospace company from IBM to Lockheed Martin and Boeing has totally stand alone divisions that serve as cost centers and pursue monumental interests in the politics of government and the billions in service contracts that are outsourced there.This has gone on for years. I watched it for 3 decades on the inside of these corporations.ODYSSEY OF ARMAMENTSThey routinely spend more in lobbying expenses than they pay in income taxes each year.Defense Contractors: Driving the Pentagon Budget DebateThe interests of these firms is now changing slightly with Sequestration and many are making acquisitions and marketing services in the Health Care sectors or escalating their interests in civil aviation, education and other fields.Top 10 Contractors FY 20101. LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION – $34,288,619,7222. THE BOEING COMPANY 19,358,512,8093. NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION 15,472,742,7294. GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION 14,903,216,9005. RAYTHEON COMPANY 14,880,453,0616. L-3 COMMUNICATIONS HOLDINGS, INC. 7,629,644,9197. UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION 7,330,023,1908. OSHKOSH CORPORATION 7,197,520,1839. SAIC, INC. 6,595,330,33910. BAE SYSTEMS PLC 6,587,705,335Playboy: Lockheed Martin's War ProfiteeringMarch 2007: Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele on the disturbing record of one of the U.S. government's largest contractors
Why does U.S. consistently spend over the 2% defense spending NATO target? And on what do they spend it?
2% of GDP is not the ceiling for defense spending to be a member of NATO. Its the rock bottom floor minimum requirement, which most of NATO is not meeting. And NATO is just focused on Europe mostly, while the US also has treaty obligations in the rest of the world too.