How to Pay for a 21st-Century Military

[groovedaddy]

In recent weeks, this page has called for major changes in America’s armed forces: more ground forces, less reliance on the Reserves, new equipment and training to replace cold-war weapons systems and doctrines.

Money will have to be found to pay for all of this, and the Pentagon can no longer be handed a blank check, as happened throughout the Bush years.

Since 2001, basic defense spending has risen by 40 percent in real post-inflation dollars. That is not counting the huge supplemental budgets passed — with little serious review or debate — each year to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Such unquestioned largess has shielded the Pentagon from any real pressure to cut unneeded weapons systems and other wasteful expenses.

As a result, there is plenty of fat in the defense budget. Here is what we think can be cut back or canceled in order to pay for new equipment and other reforms that are truly essential to keep this country safe:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/opinion/21sun1.html?th&emc=th

[NOW tense]

1. Perhaps would should spend money on defense not offense.

[FormerDittoHead]

2. We should CUT BACK, not reallocate! DEFENSE, NOT OFFENSE.

Instead of looking at what we're already spending, how much we're spending on it, how much is in the pipeline, etc., etc., etc., we should look at what OTHER countries are spending and instead of being, excuse me, the policemen of the world, protectors of the corporate foreign interests, we should just look at what other countries are doing to harm us, then spend and act accordingly.

We could cut our military BY FUCKING HALF and still outspend our "enemies" by multiples.

Oh what about the precious military jobs? I'd rather have overpriced roads, overpriced bridges and overpriced research and development into alternative energy, robotics and medical care than things which have never been used or never WILL be used.

We'll get a bigger bang for our buck, and if we no longer depend upon the middle east for energy, we'll actually be MORE SECURE.