The economic multipliers of the defense contractors are horrible compared to, say, DARPA/NASA and infrastructure investment. The trickle down of technology is s

The economic multipliers of the defense contractors are horrible compared to, say, DARPA/NASA and infrastructure investment. The trickle down of technology is slow and the industry has been growing more and more bloated since WWII. Manufacturing in the United States accounts for over $3 trillion of the GDP and dwarfs even China's industry. We don't need $500 billion or more a year of defense spending to keep our capabilities maintained and we certainly don't need nuclear submarine manufacturing capabilities in two shipyards.