2 ms·
> You could always try the military... you've got one hell of an expensive lean, mean fighting machine there. I'm pretty sure it would still be as good for defe
by anamax 16y ago
> You could always try the military... you've got one hell of an expensive lean, mean fighting machine there. I'm pretty sure it would still be as good for defence at a fraction of the cost.
The US military is about 6% of Federal spending and didn't jump significantly during Iraq.
For example, Iraq cost about $1T over 8 years. At least one of the stimulus cost about that, and we've had several since 2007.
The long term trend for US military spending is down. It was over 20% before Vietnam.
- Retric 16y agoIt's closer to 1/4 of total spending. Out of $3.552 trillion in total federal spending: Defense-related expenditures outside of the Department of Defense constitute between $216 billion and $361 billion in additional spending, bringing the total for defense spending to between $880 billion and $1.03 trillion in fiscal year 2010.[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_S... PS: The range of costs depends on what and when you consider something military spending. Do you count future pensions under current spending or do you count current pensions? etc.
- anamax 16y agoThe "outside the defense department budget" numbers are sketchy at best. Interest on debt for past wars isn't something that can be cut. "State Department financing of foreign arms sales" is diplomacy, not military spending. (It may be dumb diplomacy, but it's diplomacy.)