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1. 

   Bill Ewing said, over 1 year ago

   The largest threat to ANY society’s well being and survival is a second best military.

   In many ways we are there and giving it away by the hand fulls for nothing in return.

   We are doomed!
2. 

   Tue Elung-Jensen said, over 1 year ago

   Not as long as there arent any actual military threat large enough to cause issues. Besides a military isn´t supposed to be large – just efficient enough.
3. 

   Tigger said, over 1 year ago

   Oddly enough, the Democrats are balking on Cutting Military pay
4. 

   masterskrain said, over 1 year ago

   Question…how many teachers could we pay for one year with what a single Aircraft Carrier costs?
5. 

   Mephistopholes said, over 1 year ago

   I agree with you Masterskrain. Do we really need 11 Carrier groups to protect the US. Or do we need that many so the President (whichever party) can export Death and Destruction whenever it is politically expedient.

   I have always been opposed to the government serving as the great equalizer (Transferring wealth and hobbling the best and brightest to make it easier for others to compete). But I am in favor of the government using it’s resources to create opportunities for all: Good Education, Good Infrastructure, etc.
6. 

   ossiningaling said, over 1 year ago

   @Bill Ewing

   The largest threat to the military appears to be that his arms are stuck to the table.
7. 

   Simon_Jester said, over 1 year ago

   To be fair, you can’t entirely blame the military for this. How many times have we read about Congress pushing for this or that weapons system that the Pentagon says it DOESN’T need?
8. 

   derfplik said, over 1 year ago

   @Bill Ewing

   Yeah, I’ll just bet Osama et al are thinking the same thing right now. You will sing a different tune when you are 62.
9. 

   derfplik said, over 1 year ago

   As always, hilarious and poignant at the same time. Stu!
10. 

    motivemagus said, over 1 year ago

    OK, let’s look at this sensibly.
    A significant amount of “military” expense goes to overpriced “consultants” (because they are for-profit) like Blackwater.
    A huge amount goes to the “military-industrial complex,” which Eisenhower rightly warned against.
    There is a massively stupid redundancy taking place because of political maneuvering between the three armed forces, meaning that the Army, Navy, and Air Force all have their own specialized nuclear weapons, technology, etc., when it is quite possible to consolidate and put together a best-in-class set for far cheaper.
    And there is a LOT of fat in the budget. It’s stupid to talk about “the second-best military” fear when we are a long, long, long way away from that in terms of expense. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute indicates that in 2010 we spent over $687 billion, which is six times what China spends, which you may recall is four times our size. In one sense we spend 24 times what China does, our largest competitor, corrected for size.
    We also spend a lot of our GDP: 4.7%, which is money lost to building our economy, as military expenditures are essentially made to be destroyed.
    So let’s not claim that ANY cuts will threaten our national security. Nonsense.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures
11. 

    D-squared said, over 1 year ago

    @motivemagus

    …when it is quite possible to consolidate and put together a best-in-class set for far cheaper.

    ---

    but as you said, where is the profit in that, and thank you for citing Eisenhower, the last intelligent Republican president (Nixon not withstanding)
12. 

    ODon said, over 1 year ago

    When we have citizens in need of help at home, help with food and healthcare, how is it that spending money on that is wrong but to keep the same people “safe” from the threat of invasion is an unrestrained given.
13. 

    masterskrain said, over 1 year ago

    @motivemagus

    Sadly, you are talking about Military Funding during an ELECTION YEAR!
    “Sensibly” is the very last way ANYONE will talk about the budget now!
14. 

    Nohwear said, over 1 year ago

    here’s the real fun, there has long been a problem in that military forces have shared a budget with vet benefits.
15. 

    DrCanuck said, over 1 year ago

    Geez, your military is large enough to take on the entire world and win, twice. Yet still you are terrified, spending and spending and spending.
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