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Politics : American Presidential Politics and foreign affairs -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RMF who wrote (36351)	8/17/2009 2:19:16 PM
From: Peter Dierks	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 71588

When you look at the TRILLIONS we've THROWN AWAY on DEFENSE ... If you can read this thank a teacher. If you can read it in English thank a soldier. Freedom is not free. Welfare is thrown away on people who don't even appreciate it. Freedom is thrown away on people who think it is a waste. You appear to fall into the later group.

To: RMF who wrote (36351)	8/17/2009 9:01:10 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 71588

Defending the country, deterring attack against it, protecting our interests, even expanding freedom and democracy elsewhere, are not throwing away money. That's not to say that we always get a good deal on the money, whether your looking at procurement, defense organizations and systems, or specific operations and missions. Some will be bad ideas, many more will be done poorly, or won't be cost-effective. That's just like any other government program, defense isn't some special exception. The stimulus and bailout programs are trying to keep our economy together Much of them is poorly directed towards that effort even if you support the general idea, and the general idea is rather questionable. More generally chart the percentage of government spending on the military vs. everything else. Defense used to dominate, now its transfer payments, and going forward that will be true to an even greater extent. Defense is becoming a smaller and smaller part of the budget even before considering bailouts and stimulus bills, and health care "reform".