With all the talk of earmarks, pork projects, and budget deficits, I think it is important to get a sense of perspective. Most Americans cannot grasp how large a trillion dollar budget is, so when they hear about 2 million going to research honey bees, they think it is much larger than the drop in the enormous bucket it really represents.
The fact is that from the discretionary budget, 51% of the money goes to the military. Ben And Jerry's (yes, the ice cream guys) have launched a campaign to promote awareness of this figure. Of every tax dollar you spend, outside of social security, half of it goes to the military!
On top of it all, the US spends more yearly on the military than every other country in the world combined! We have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the entire planet ten times over!
I think that any revitalized America and revitalized left in America needs to make this fact more well-known. Military spending does not create jobs the way other spending does, according to not one but two recent studies. Not to mention that when we bomb other countries, it hurts the entire global economy. Plus, the military is one of the largest producers of toxic and nuclear waste, another huge drain on the economy from health impacts.
If we cut the military budget in half, the country could easily afford universal health care and a massive increase in infrastructure, renewable energy and education--all without raising taxes. The GOP for too long has controlled the debate by controlling the taxes argument. Now is the time to make them defend spending money for war and destruction vs spending money for peace and justice. Just ask the American people would they rather have a massive increase in spending for health, the environment, energy, and education plus lower taxes. Or, would they rather keep the status quo, with a struggling economy but a huge military.
This could and should be the game changer which can land the death blow to the Republican party as we know it. The country is already shifting left, just without the economic means to do so. The left needs to challenge these outdated, Cold War military funding priorities. If we really want a small government and less taxes, cutting the military is the only path to take.
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.....I don't know where to start. First I will start by thanking you for advocating a cut in military spending that will leave me homeless, jobless, and without health care, oh yeah, me and I will give you the benefit of the doubt and say 500,000 service members, not to mention the countless numbers of civilian employees employed through contract or directly by the department of defense. But you are right we need "smaller" government, and I guess that means giving the government more control? How does this work? Let them not just regulate an industry but run it, as you just so aptly put, they seem to be mismanaging everything else, so why not that. And how do we end up with less taxes? We just have to shift them over to healthcare. Have you looked recently at what it costs to keep just the individuals that are insured in America healthy lately? Let's not count all of the uninsured. This is my biggest issue with the left sometimes, (as I try not to make this personal man) the military is the great evil empire, never mind it is filled with HUMAN FUCKING BEINGS! We are just another number, another number of individuals who at the drop of a hat are willing to do anything anyone asks of them, just so that you have the right to criticize what we do. (alright that is all of my sappy shit for you) But I wonder, before you wrote this did you think of one person? Or was it just a number. (I think you are a great person man)
ReplyDelete"Those who ‘abjure’ violence can only do so because others are committing violence on their behalf" -- George Orwell
"We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." -- Winston Churchill
Hey, some good thoughts CJ. I never once, though, said we should cut troops.
ReplyDeleteThe military wastes trillions on advanced weapons systems and nuclear weapons. Cut that if you want.
Actually, the same people loading the military budget with pork are the same ones who cut funds to support troops like GI Bill and veterans benefits. And let me give you a clue, that's not coming from the left.
I have a better idea. Let's cut the military back to 100,000 troops, pay them better, put them on defensive rather than offensive missions where they can keep their legs and their lungs and their lives, let them leave the military when they want (I'm sure you know that now this is impossible because of the back-door draft).
And with the other 400,000? Let's spend the money sending them to college, provide real jobs, and build stuff rather than blow stuff up.
Let me ask you CJ. Would you rather be in the military or building a bridge or a trail for the same money? What about helping to create a new digital infrastructure for struggling cities?
Yes, I thought about people--precisely people like you--before I wrote this. You are not a number. You only become one once you enter the military. You should know that. Most people who join are forced to from lack of economic opportunity. My original post showed, through two studies, that the better way to create economic opportunity is not to keep a bloated military.
It may be cheesy but we can make peace as well and even better than we make war. And guess what? More health, more sanity, and more time in the states with your family and friends for every military person who quote unquote loses a job.