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jlf1961 -> RE: Republicans for death panels? WTF??? (4/5/2011 4:58:47 PM)
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Sanity, it may surprise you to know that the United States spent in 2009 $663,255,000,000 on military spending. China spent $98,800,000,000 for the same period. Do the math, we spent 6.71 times as much money.
Since 2001, Congress has appropriated about $302 billion to cover the cost of US military operations in Afghanistan ($76 billion) and Iraq ($226 billion). This figure includes a down payment of some $50 billion for fiscal year (FY) 2006 costs. In addition, Congress has provided Afghanistan and Iraq, respectively, with about $7 billion and $25 billion in non-Department of Defense (DoD) funding for reconstruction and related efforts. It is impossible to estimate with confidence how much additional funding will be needed to cover the cost of US military operations in these two countries in 2006 and beyond—due not only to uncertainty concerning the size, duration and intensity of the US military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, but also to significant gaps in cost, funding and related data. The Cost of US Military Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan Through Fiscal Year 2006 and Beyond
It would be one thing if we were spending that money on modern equipment, but aside from the newest class of SSN, and the JTF (joint tactical fighter which is little better than what is in service now, and replaces the F22 Raptor) we are either upgrading old equipment or paying to maintain equipment that is out of date.
We could cut our defense spending by 50%, still out spend the Chinese AND cut the deficit without cutting social security, medicare, medicaid and EDUCATION (the area that the United States is rapidly falling behind the rest of the world.)
The US spends more on Defense than the next 15 countries combined do on it. This is the biggest part of the 13 trillion dollar deficit we now have. My question is will the American people be fooled by republicans and believe if we cut defense spending a little bit the United States will be no more and just destroyed? Or will American people realize the last time we balanced the budget under Bill Clinton we cut defense spending and did not fight as many wars and award as many defense contracts. Republicans would rather increase money on bombs and bullets than on education, the environment, and scientific research such that could cure diseases such as diabetes that costs US healthcare tremendously every single year.
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