Comments on: 25 Facts on Global Military Spending http://www.ryanallis.com/25-facts-on-global-military-spending/ Fri, 06 Feb 2015 13:14:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: James F http://www.ryanallis.com/25-facts-on-global-military-spending/comment-page-1/#comment-52 James F Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:01:02 +0000 http://www.ryanallis.com/?p=90#comment-52 Bob, very true. Corporate lobbying is bs and allows politicians to be bought, in my opinion, undermining a healthy, functioning democracy. As someone who thinks both parties are corrupt, I don't tow the line for either. However, I'd say responsibility does not lie equally. Republicans often claim Democrats are "weak" on military and are unpatriotic. Any suggestion to lower this military spending is met with a perceived lack of concern for the troops and accusations of being soft. But this increase in military spending is a movement carefully calculated by the neoconservatives. In the Project for a New American Century (Wolfowitz, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Quayle, Libby, etc), the outcome has turned out like it was written, line by line: http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf Signatories: http://www.newamericancentury.org/statementofprinciples.htm And I don't think historical comparisons make today's situation acceptable. Those numbers can be skewed, ex: higher % when economy is down. In the past decade, America has still spent more than the rest of the world combined, or very close to it. Also, our numbers then were even more outrageous than they are now. Doesn't make today's not outrageous. I wouldn't have such a problem with it if the money spent wasn't so wasteful. Seldom are technologies enhanced, and there's no way some of these executives should've been getting paid 30M a year (many were). http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11257 Ironic considering this money is spent by the party that consider themselves fiscal conservatives, which is again not true: http://www.heritage.org/research/features/BudgetChartBook/Obama-Budget-Would-Create-Unprecedented-Deficits.aspx (we'll see about Obama). Out of the first 50 bombs to hit Bagdad, 0 hit their intended targets. But some hit schools and hospitals. So, hopefully we can reduce the military spending and make it more efficient. I think it's important that these mindsets are outgrown, though. And hate to dwell on politics, but I think it's a necessity in order to tackle the issue. Bob, very true. Corporate lobbying is bs and allows politicians to be bought, in my opinion, undermining a healthy, functioning democracy.

As someone who thinks both parties are corrupt, I don’t tow the line for either. However, I’d say responsibility does not lie equally. Republicans often claim Democrats are “weak” on military and are unpatriotic. Any suggestion to lower this military spending is met with a perceived lack of concern for the troops and accusations of being soft.

But this increase in military spending is a movement carefully calculated by the neoconservatives. In the Project for a New American Century (Wolfowitz, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Quayle, Libby, etc), the outcome has turned out like it was written, line by line: http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf
Signatories: http://www.newamericancentury.org/statementofprinciples.htm

And I don’t think historical comparisons make today’s situation acceptable. Those numbers can be skewed, ex: higher % when economy is down. In the past decade, America has still spent more than the rest of the world combined, or very close to it. Also, our numbers then were even more outrageous than they are now. Doesn’t make today’s not outrageous.

I wouldn’t have such a problem with it if the money spent wasn’t so wasteful. Seldom are technologies enhanced, and there’s no way some of these executives should’ve been getting paid 30M a year (many were). http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11257
Ironic considering this money is spent by the party that consider themselves fiscal conservatives, which is again not true:

http://www.heritage.org/research/features/BudgetChartBook/Obama-Budget-Would-Create-Unprecedented-Deficits.aspx
(we’ll see about Obama).

Out of the first 50 bombs to hit Bagdad, 0 hit their intended targets. But some hit schools and hospitals.

So, hopefully we can reduce the military spending and make it more efficient. I think it’s important that these mindsets are outgrown, though. And hate to dwell on politics, but I think it’s a necessity in order to tackle the issue.

]]> By: Bob Phoenix http://www.ryanallis.com/25-facts-on-global-military-spending/comment-page-1/#comment-41 Bob Phoenix Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:51:02 +0000 http://www.ryanallis.com/?p=90#comment-41 I agree that the US spends far too much on the military. However the data you present focuses on the increase in military spending over the past decade. In an effort to make the argument less political, I'd like to give a little more historical perspective. Military spending in terms of a % of GDP is actually still lower than historical levels according to the CBO. This isn't to say that it's how it should be. But the military industrial complex has had a grip on both the Democratic and Republican Parties for the better part of the past 100 years. I don't know how much we are borrowing to pay for our miliatry. I'd be curious to see specific cuts to the military budget and how close we could get to a balanced budget just from cutting the military budget. http://www.heritage.org/Research/Features/BudgetChartbook/Images/federal-spending_12-580.jpg I agree that the US spends far too much on the military. However the data you present focuses on the increase in military spending over the past decade. In an effort to make the argument less political, I’d like to give a little more historical perspective.

Military spending in terms of a % of GDP is actually still lower than historical levels according to the CBO.

This isn’t to say that it’s how it should be. But the military industrial complex has had a grip on both the Democratic and Republican Parties for the better part of the past 100 years.

I don’t know how much we are borrowing to pay for our miliatry. I’d be curious to see specific cuts to the military budget and how close we could get to a balanced budget just from cutting the military budget.

http://www.heritage.org/Research/Features/BudgetChartbook/Images/federal-spending_12-580.jpg

]]>