American defense spending since 1945

[Benbow]

I have seen this statistic before but it bears repeating.

American defense spending in the last 60 years (since 1945) is reported to be equivalent to something like $4 million for every day since the birth of Christ.

Think what else your taxes could have been spent on, if not on defence. Has the defense spending actually prevented more wars than it started?

[Benbow]

1. But doing something different would now be like trying to stop

an ocean-going super-tanker. :-(

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. You stop an

(Subject line in the idiotic tradition of fragmenting sentences between the subject and the message)

You stop an ocean going tanker by the owners radioing the captain to change course or by replacing the captain.

By analogy, the owners of the country are the people. Replacing the captain would be impeachment or election.

[Ezlivin]

3. You scuttle the ship and flee in life rafts

When President Carter made a move to cut defense spending, he was not long for his office.

It's called a Military-Industrial Complex for a reason. No single man heads it nor will the downfall of a single man render it impotent.

[tocqueville]

4. how about 2005

[enid602]

5. defense

The sad truth is that defense spending provides fewer jobs and economic gains than investment in other manufacturing and service sectors. Huge defense spending, IMO is one of the reasons we've lost so much manufacturing. I don't think Europe would be witnessing the successes of Airbus, Nokia, Phillips ad infinitum if they spent as much on defense as we.