Ted, Oh my God, we are spending 6 times more than the next largest spender. How can you even begin to say the problem is how we spend the money within the defense arena? Americans go without food so we can have enough money for bombs. How insane is that?
a) Defense spending as a percentage of GDP isn't that high. Compare that with most despotic nations out there, and I think the situation isn't as distorted as you make it.
What does the percentage of the GDP matter? Those are silly numbers. The reality is we are spending over $500 billion per year on defense. How many people would that feed in Africa? How many economic programs in the world could be funded by that much money?
Instead, we use the money to kill and maim.
b) The problem with any federal government agency is how we spend the money. Defense is no different. Same thing with CIA, Homeland Security, housing and urban development, NASA, and agriculture subsidies.
Gobbley-gook. Half of the budget's discretionary funding goes to defense! HALF!
Its too bad your idealism does not extend to the concept of a world where one country does not have to spend so much on defense. Paranoia is a terrible disease and it is exacting a terrible toll on our budget and the world.
Actually, that's EXACTLY what my ideal is. Maybe if we spent a little more on taking out the sources of inhumanity, despotism, torture, and terrorism, we can actually make progress toward that ideal.
May be if we stopped screwing with the world and made it possible for others to reach our standard of living, tyrants wouldn't find a ready audience.
Or we could all pray that none of this is necessary, but that all depends on where our faith in God is.
Praying would be better than what you are doing now.
ted |
