Can We Afford Armed Forces?

[Care4all]

we don't need to cut our military due to cutting their budget, we just need to cut waste, which there is a colossal amount of... just be smarter!

 

[GRX Dragon]

We best be able to afford the armed forces, it's one of the smallest budgets to our GDP. We could truncate for efficiency (replace all inferior tech with better tech... such as all F-15s and F-16s with F-22s, and all F-18s with JSF F-35s, etc.), sure, but that doesn't mean we should spend any less either.

In fact, if politicians are stupid enough to continue slicing our defense programs... why the hell are we supposed to trust them with our healthcare again? Makes no sense.

our defense, is our largest expense paid out of what income and corporate taxes are suppose to pay i thought, then comes the interest payment on our debt...again, i believe? then medicare or Health & human Services...i think???

i will try to find a link in a few minutes...

Okay, I'll ask you this... what's the relevant point you're disagreeing or agreeing on?

 

[The T]

With Western Nations continually cutting their military budgets and the ever growing costs of military hardware are we fast reaching the point where it will be too costly to pay for such weapons platforms and the like.

Technology has advanced at such a rate that the sums being invested just in R & D alone are absolutely staggering. Not only that the loss of such prestigeous units such as carriers in a major conflict means that their complexity of build means that you cannot simple not them out in a couple of months or cheaply.

If in any furture conflict large and expensive weapons systems are lost there simply may not be the money there to replace them. Will we reach that point where Nations cannot afford such cost or have we already reached that point. In any Nations budget are area's such as social care, housing etc. already loosing out to massive military spending that cannot be sustained.

If we do reach that point or we have what would the face of future armed forces look like. Would such costs mean that nations only have strong defensive forces and rely on long range missiles for offence. Or will the whole thing just implode under its own inertia.

*I* Don't KNOW about the REST of the world...but as far as the United States Of America?

They (The Government is MANDATED to have a Military)...to Protect the Liberty of It's Citizens.

And WHY put a PRICE on Liberty? Would you? Do YOU?

*NEXT*

 

[Care4all]

With Western Nations continually cutting their military budgets and the ever growing costs of military hardware are we fast reaching the point where it will be too costly to pay for such weapons platforms and the like.

Technology has advanced at such a rate that the sums being invested just in R & D alone are absolutely staggering. Not only that the loss of such prestigeous units such as carriers in a major conflict means that their complexity of build means that you cannot simple not them out in a couple of months or cheaply.

If in any furture conflict large and expensive weapons systems are lost there simply may not be the money there to replace them. Will we reach that point where Nations cannot afford such cost or have we already reached that point. In any Nations budget are area's such as social care, housing etc. already loosing out to massive military spending that cannot be sustained.

If we do reach that point or we have what would the face of future armed forces look like. Would such costs mean that nations only have strong defensive forces and rely on long range missiles for offence. Or will the whole thing just implode under its own inertia.

*I* Don't KNOW about the REST of the world...but as far as the United States Of America?

They (The Government is MANDATED to have a Military)...to Protect the Liberty of It's Citizens.

And WHY put a PRICE on Liberty? Would you? Do YOU?

*NEXT*

our money DOES NOT GROW ON TREES, that is why our gvt needs to be as fruegal as possible with everything, including the biggest expense we have that we can affect, our defense budget....

there is soooooooooooooooooo much money that is just wasted, it ain't funny!!!

getting rid of waste is not depleting our defense?

care

 

[Care4all]

With Western Nations continually cutting their military budgets and the ever growing costs of military hardware are we fast reaching the point where it will be too costly to pay for such weapons platforms and the like.

Technology has advanced at such a rate that the sums being invested just in R & D alone are absolutely staggering. Not only that the loss of such prestigeous units such as carriers in a major conflict means that their complexity of build means that you cannot simple not them out in a couple of months or cheaply.

If in any furture conflict large and expensive weapons systems are lost there simply may not be the money there to replace them. Will we reach that point where Nations cannot afford such cost or have we already reached that point. In any Nations budget are area's such as social care, housing etc. already loosing out to massive military spending that cannot be sustained.

If we do reach that point or we have what would the face of future armed forces look like. Would such costs mean that nations only have strong defensive forces and rely on long range missiles for offence. Or will the whole thing just implode under its own inertia.

*I* Don't KNOW about the REST of the world...but as far as the United States Of America?

They (The Government is MANDATED to have a Military)...to Protect the Liberty of It's Citizens.

And WHY put a PRICE on Liberty? Would you? Do YOU?

*NEXT*

AND read the Constitution!!!!!!!!!

our constitution does NOT mandate a ''military''!!!!

fyi
IT ONLY mandates a NAVY for the federal gvt!!!

Care

 

[xotoxi]

in that case i hope you and your entire seed are on the top floor next time

Essentially, you are saying that you hope that the above happens again.

Nice. Real nice.

 

[Care4all]

this is just one example that is coming out that shows a good deal of our tax moneys on defense are wasted.

another blackwater scandal....saw it on rachel maddow when channel flipping tonight...

Our Embassy in Afghanistan Is Guarded by Sexually Confused Frat Boys

People should not be so afraid of cutting our defense budget, it won't diminish or hurt the actual defense of our country or our military....killing WASTE strengthens us.

care

 

[The T]

With Western Nations continually cutting their military budgets and the ever growing costs of military hardware are we fast reaching the point where it will be too costly to pay for such weapons platforms and the like.

Technology has advanced at such a rate that the sums being invested just in R & D alone are absolutely staggering. Not only that the loss of such prestigeous units such as carriers in a major conflict means that their complexity of build means that you cannot simple not them out in a couple of months or cheaply.

If in any furture conflict large and expensive weapons systems are lost there simply may not be the money there to replace them. Will we reach that point where Nations cannot afford such cost or have we already reached that point. In any Nations budget are area's such as social care, housing etc. already loosing out to massive military spending that cannot be sustained.

If we do reach that point or we have what would the face of future armed forces look like. Would such costs mean that nations only have strong defensive forces and rely on long range missiles for offence. Or will the whole thing just implode under its own inertia.

*I* Don't KNOW about the REST of the world...but as far as the United States Of America?

They (The Government is MANDATED to have a Military)...to Protect the Liberty of It's Citizens.

And WHY put a PRICE on Liberty? Would you? Do YOU?

*NEXT*

AND read the Constitution!!!!!!!!!

our constitution does NOT mandate a ''military''!!!!

fyi
IT ONLY mandates a NAVY for the federal gvt!!!

Care

It doesn't? Sure it does. Under Article 1, Section 8...

What do you think the Navy is? And "Militia" Is that NOT the Military? Do you KNOW the derivitive of that word, "MILITIA"??

And it provides for the "COMMON DEFENSE"... AND? Is the NAVY not the MILITARY? If NOT? Then explain it to the Sailors that are out there...Tell THEM that they aren't PART of the Military...

Logic escapes YOU TOO I see...

So you are WRONG. Have a nice night, wrong person.

 

[Care4all]

the military is all the different forces that we have now including the navy.... the navy is what is in section 8, a standing army is only TEMPORARY... the Militia from our states, as i said...is who the federal gvt is to ''call up'' if our country needs defending in a war...

this policeman of the world crap, is UNCONSTITUTIONAL and congress not being able to fund a standing army longer than 2 years at a time was suppose to CURB US from that kind of waste in lives and money.

the militia in our states would be our national guard today....

NOT our Air force, army, marines etc...

 

[Ralph]

With Western Nations continually cutting their military budgets and the ever growing costs of military hardware are we fast reaching the point where it will be too costly to pay for such weapons platforms and the like.

Technology has advanced at such a rate that the sums being invested just in R & D alone are absolutely staggering. Not only that the loss of such prestigeous units such as carriers in a major conflict means that their complexity of build means that you cannot simple not them out in a couple of months or cheaply.

If in any furture conflict large and expensive weapons systems are lost there simply may not be the money there to replace them. Will we reach that point where Nations cannot afford such cost or have we already reached that point. In any Nations budget are area's such as social care, housing etc. already loosing out to massive military spending that cannot be sustained.

If we do reach that point or we have what would the face of future armed forces look like. Would such costs mean that nations only have strong defensive forces and rely on long range missiles for offence. Or will the whole thing just implode under its own inertia.

Sure we can do away with the military......If it were not for that pesky, antiquated documented called the United States Constitution which defines the first and foremost duty of the Central Government to PROTECT....WE THE PEOPLE. I hear ya brother...........comrade.

except that same constitution says that congress NOT pay for a standing army longer than 2 years at a time, including during wartime...and we are CLEARLY BREAKING the constitution and why they had this provision in place....so we wouldn't be put in the position of today, funding the military (outside of the navy), for decades at a time...robbing from us to pay paul...feeding the Military Industrial complex with more and more and more, federal taxes. The States were to have their own armies, (like the National guard), and the Congress could call them up, 2 years at a time....IF WE NEEDED them for our country's defense.

The Navy could be funded full time according to our constitution...that's it.

care

Except the Constitution grants the AUTHORITY for WE THE PEOPLE to authorize....THROUGH REPRESENTATIVE LEGISLATION......funding for a standing Army to be funded by the Legislative branch...which they have and to be Commanded by the Executive Branch...which it is. Simply LOBBY your representative to AMENDED THE CONSTITUTION...the only way for the CONSTITUTION to evolve to meet the needs of a changing society...is by a mandated amendment made by common agreement with a 3/4 majority of the states ratification. Proceed. Start Lobbying.....good luck. That damned old constitution is such an antiquated and pesky little thing....no? According to "barry" it is.

 

[Care4all]

Sure we can do away with the military......If it were not for that pesky, antiquated documented called the United States Constitution which defines the first and foremost duty of the Central Government to PROTECT....WE THE PEOPLE. I hear ya brother...........comrade.

except that same constitution says that congress NOT pay for a standing army longer than 2 years at a time, including during wartime...and we are CLEARLY BREAKING the constitution and why they had this provision in place....so we wouldn't be put in the position of today, funding the military (outside of the navy), for decades at a time...robbing from us to pay paul...feeding the Military Industrial complex with more and more and more, federal taxes. The States were to have their own armies, (like the National guard), and the Congress could call them up, 2 years at a time....IF WE NEEDED them for our country's defense.

The Navy could be funded full time according to our constitution...that's it.

care

Except the Constitution grants the AUTHORITY for WE THE PEOPLE to authorize....THROUGH REPRESENTATIVE LEGISLATION......funding for a standing Army to be funded by the Legislative branch...which they have and to be Commanded by the Executive Branch...which it is. Simply LOBBY your representative to AMENDED THE CONSTITUTION...the only way for the CONSTITUTION to evolve to meet the needs of a changing society...is by a mandated amendment made by common agreement with a 3/4 majority of the states ratification. Proceed. Start Lobbying.....good luck. That damned old constitution is such an antiquated and pesky little thing....no? According to "barry" it is.

i don't think the constitution is pesky at all...i think it is a beautiful agreement, with we the people, and a standing army being paid for longer than 2 years at a time is unconstitutional and it is you and the likes of you that is bending the constitution to fit your own purposes....the constitution is VERY SPECIFIC on the funding of an army and as said you are the one spinning and twisting and turning to make it say what is NOT said, in it, not me!

try again!

care

 

[namvet]

in that case i hope you and your entire seed are on the top floor next time

Essentially, you are saying that you hope that the above happens again.

Nice. Real nice.

it will happen again. you have NO national security. and Al-Qaeda is watching your country implode. the cells are just waiting for the call.

 

[Polk]

At the current level of funding? No.

 

[GRX Dragon]

We best be able to afford the armed forces, it's one of the smallest budgets to our GDP. We could truncate for efficiency (replace all inferior tech with better tech... such as all F-15s and F-16s with F-22s, and all F-18s with JSF F-35s, etc.), sure, but that doesn't mean we should spend any less either.

In fact, if politicians are stupid enough to continue slicing our defense programs... why the hell are we supposed to trust them with our healthcare again? Makes no sense.

our defense, is our largest expense paid out of what income and corporate taxes are suppose to pay i thought, then comes the interest payment on our debt...again, i believe? then medicare or Health & human Services...i think???

i will try to find a link in a few minutes...

With Western Nations continually cutting their military budgets and the ever growing costs of military hardware are we fast reaching the point where it will be too costly to pay for such weapons platforms and the like.

Technology has advanced at such a rate that the sums being invested just in R & D alone are absolutely staggering. Not only that the loss of such prestigeous units such as carriers in a major conflict means that their complexity of build means that you cannot simple not them out in a couple of months or cheaply.

If in any furture conflict large and expensive weapons systems are lost there simply may not be the money there to replace them. Will we reach that point where Nations cannot afford such cost or have we already reached that point. In any Nations budget are area's such as social care, housing etc. already loosing out to massive military spending that cannot be sustained.

If we do reach that point or we have what would the face of future armed forces look like. Would such costs mean that nations only have strong defensive forces and rely on long range missiles for offence. Or will the whole thing just implode under its own inertia.

*I* Don't KNOW about the REST of the world...but as far as the United States Of America?

They (The Government is MANDATED to have a Military)...to Protect the Liberty of It's Citizens.

And WHY put a PRICE on Liberty? Would you? Do YOU?

*NEXT*

our money DOES NOT GROW ON TREES, that is why our gvt needs to be as fruegal as possible with everything, including the biggest expense we have that we can affect, our defense budget....

there is soooooooooooooooooo much money that is just wasted, it ain't funny!!!

getting rid of waste is not depleting our defense?

care

Here, some of the information has already been repeated.

Relative Size of US Military Spending, 1940--2003 (TruthAndPolitics.org)

Introduction

The graphs and tables below depict the history of the relative size of US military spending. Relative size is measured here in two ways:

In each year, how much was spent on the military compared to the size of the US economy?
In each year, how much was spent on the military compared to other discretionary outlays in the federal budget?
Please note that

"federal spending" refers to outlays;
"military spending" refers to "national defense" spending (budget function 050), which may include spending outside of the Department of Defense; and,
years are fiscal years.

Table 1: US military spending as a percentage of GDP, 1940--2003


US military spending as a percentage of GDP, 1940--2003

In the graph and table below, the measure of the size of the economy used is GDP (gross domestic product). US military spending is reported as a percentage of US GDP.

Graph 1: US military spending as a percentage of GDP, 1940--2003

Fiscal Year Military spending as
percent of GDP
1940 1.7
1941 5.6
1942 17.8
1943 37.0
1944 37.8
1945 37.5
1946 19.2
1947 5.5
1948 3.5
1949 4.8
1950 5.0
1951 7.4
1952 13.2
1953 14.2
1954 13.1
1955 10.8
1956 10.0
1957 10.1
1958 10.2
1959 10.0
1960 9.3
1961 9.4
1962 9.2
1963 8.9
1964 8.5
1965 7.4
1966 7.7
1967 8.8
1968 9.4
1969 8.7
1970 8.1
1971 7.3
1972 6.7
1973 5.8
1974 5.5
1975 5.5
1976 5.2
1977 4.9
1978 4.7
1979 4.6
1980 4.9
1981 5.1
1982 5.7
1983 6.1
1984 5.9
1985 6.1
1986 6.2
1987 6.1
1988 5.8
1989 5.6
1990 5.2
1991 4.6
1992 4.8
1993 4.4
1994 4.0
1995 3.7
1996 3.5
1997 3.3
1998 3.1
1999 3.0
2000 3.0
2001 3.0
2002 3.4
2003 3.7

Data source

The data in Table 1 are the same as those in Graph 1 and are also taken from reference [1].

US military spending as a percentage of discretionary outlays, 1962--2003

In the graph and table below, US military spending is reported as a percentage of discretionary outlays. (Technical note: total military spending data used here is restricted to discretionary spending, unlike that used in the comparison with GDP above. The two amounts are very close, however.)

Graph 2: US military spending as a percentage of discretionary spending, 1962--2003

Data source

The data were taken from reference [2].

Table 2: US military spending as a percentage of discretionary spending, 1962--2003

Fiscal Year Military spending as percent
of discretionary spending
1962 72.9
1963 71.3
1964 69.5
1965 65.6
1966 65.4
1967 67.6
1968 69.6
1969 70.5
1970 68.1
1971 64.5
1972 61.7
1973 59.1
1974 58.4
1975 55.5
1976 51.2
1977 49.5
1978 47.8
1979 48.7
1980 48.7
1981 51.3
1982 57.0
1983 59.4
1984 60.1
1985 60.9
1986 62.4
1987 63.6
1988 62.6
1989 62.2
1990 60.0
1991 59.9
1992 56.7
1993 54.2
1994 52.1
1995 50.2
1996 49.9
1997 49.6
1998 48.9
1999 48.2
2000 48.0
2001 47.1
2002 47.5
2003 49.0
Data source

The data in Table 2 are the same as those in Graph 2 and are also taken from reference [2].

 

[Polk]

With Western Nations continually cutting their military budgets and the ever growing costs of military hardware are we fast reaching the point where it will be too costly to pay for such weapons platforms and the like.

Technology has advanced at such a rate that the sums being invested just in R & D alone are absolutely staggering. Not only that the loss of such prestigeous units such as carriers in a major conflict means that their complexity of build means that you cannot simple not them out in a couple of months or cheaply.

If in any furture conflict large and expensive weapons systems are lost there simply may not be the money there to replace them. Will we reach that point where Nations cannot afford such cost or have we already reached that point. In any Nations budget are area's such as social care, housing etc. already loosing out to massive military spending that cannot be sustained.

If we do reach that point or we have what would the face of future armed forces look like. Would such costs mean that nations only have strong defensive forces and rely on long range missiles for offence. Or will the whole thing just implode under its own inertia.

*I* Don't KNOW about the REST of the world...but as far as the United States Of America?

They (The Government is MANDATED to have a Military)...to Protect the Liberty of It's Citizens.

And WHY put a PRICE on Liberty? Would you? Do YOU?

*NEXT*

our money DOES NOT GROW ON TREES, that is why our gvt needs to be as fruegal as possible with everything, including the biggest expense we have that we can affect, our defense budget....

there is soooooooooooooooooo much money that is just wasted, it ain't funny!!!

getting rid of waste is not depleting our defense?

care

Pork isn't pork if it's being spend on weapons systems.

 

[GRX Dragon]

And more information, this from the CIA.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2034rank.html

RANK :: COUNTRY (% OF GDP) :: DATE OF INFORMATION
3 Saudi Arabia 10.00 2005 est.
4 Iraq 8.60 2006
6 Israel 7.30 2006
12 Syria 5.90 2005 est.
28 United States 4.06 2005 est.
30 Russia 3.90 2005

 

[Care4all]

*I* Don't KNOW about the REST of the world...but as far as the United States Of America?

They (The Government is MANDATED to have a Military)...to Protect the Liberty of It's Citizens.

And WHY put a PRICE on Liberty? Would you? Do YOU?

*NEXT*

our money DOES NOT GROW ON TREES, that is why our gvt needs to be as fruegal as possible with everything, including the biggest expense we have that we can affect, our defense budget....

there is soooooooooooooooooo much money that is just wasted, it ain't funny!!!

getting rid of waste is not depleting our defense?

care

Pork isn't pork if it's being spend on weapons systems.

This is sooooo not true and very dangerous for you to so complacently say such....

We have been ripped off for decades if not a century for different military defense projects and weapons systems.... some of our country's biggest wastes and FRAUD and convictions of congressmen come from this area of the Federal Budget...google Congressman Cunningham for just one!

the Pentagon couldn't account for 3 trillion dollars when audited, Rumsfeld found about $1.5 trillion of it after about a year or two after the audit but the rest, unaccounted for....

THIS is what our founding fathers DID NOT WANT TO SEE and this is why i believe they wrote article 1 section 8 regarding such, in the manner of which they did...and this is why I am arguing this argument!!! (Taking this position!)

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

Care

 

[Polk]

I was making a wisecrack.

 

[Care4all]

We best be able to afford the armed forces, it's one of the smallest budgets to our GDP. We could truncate for efficiency (replace all inferior tech with better tech... such as all F-15s and F-16s with F-22s, and all F-18s with JSF F-35s, etc.), sure, but that doesn't mean we should spend any less either.

In fact, if politicians are stupid enough to continue slicing our defense programs... why the hell are we supposed to trust them with our healthcare again? Makes no sense.

our defense, is our largest expense paid out of what income and corporate taxes are suppose to pay i thought, then comes the interest payment on our debt...again, i believe? then medicare or Health & human Services...i think???

i will try to find a link in a few minutes...

*I* Don't KNOW about the REST of the world...but as far as the United States Of America?

They (The Government is MANDATED to have a Military)...to Protect the Liberty of It's Citizens.

And WHY put a PRICE on Liberty? Would you? Do YOU?

*NEXT*

our money DOES NOT GROW ON TREES, that is why our gvt needs to be as fruegal as possible with everything, including the biggest expense we have that we can affect, our defense budget....

there is soooooooooooooooooo much money that is just wasted, it ain't funny!!!

getting rid of waste is not depleting our defense?

care

Here, some of the information has already been repeated.

Relative Size of US Military Spending, 1940--2003 (TruthAndPolitics.org)

Introduction

The graphs and tables below depict the history of the relative size of US military spending. Relative size is measured here in two ways:

In each year, how much was spent on the military compared to the size of the US economy?
In each year, how much was spent on the military compared to other discretionary outlays in the federal budget?
Please note that

"federal spending" refers to outlays;
"military spending" refers to "national defense" spending (budget function 050), which may include spending outside of the Department of Defense; and,
years are fiscal years.

Table 1: US military spending as a percentage of GDP, 1940--2003


US military spending as a percentage of GDP, 1940--2003

In the graph and table below, the measure of the size of the economy used is GDP (gross domestic product). US military spending is reported as a percentage of US GDP.

Graph 1: US military spending as a percentage of GDP, 1940--2003

Fiscal Year Military spending as
percent of GDP
1940 1.7
1941 5.6
1942 17.8
1943 37.0
1944 37.8
1945 37.5
1946 19.2
1947 5.5
1948 3.5
1949 4.8
1950 5.0
1951 7.4
1952 13.2
1953 14.2
1954 13.1
1955 10.8
1956 10.0
1957 10.1
1958 10.2
1959 10.0
1960 9.3
1961 9.4
1962 9.2
1963 8.9
1964 8.5
1965 7.4
1966 7.7
1967 8.8
1968 9.4
1969 8.7
1970 8.1
1971 7.3
1972 6.7
1973 5.8
1974 5.5
1975 5.5
1976 5.2
1977 4.9
1978 4.7
1979 4.6
1980 4.9
1981 5.1
1982 5.7
1983 6.1
1984 5.9
1985 6.1
1986 6.2
1987 6.1
1988 5.8
1989 5.6
1990 5.2
1991 4.6
1992 4.8
1993 4.4
1994 4.0
1995 3.7
1996 3.5
1997 3.3
1998 3.1
1999 3.0
2000 3.0
2001 3.0
2002 3.4
2003 3.7

Data source

The data in Table 1 are the same as those in Graph 1 and are also taken from reference [1].

US military spending as a percentage of discretionary outlays, 1962--2003

In the graph and table below, US military spending is reported as a percentage of discretionary outlays. (Technical note: total military spending data used here is restricted to discretionary spending, unlike that used in the comparison with GDP above. The two amounts are very close, however.)

Graph 2: US military spending as a percentage of discretionary spending, 1962--2003

Data source

The data were taken from reference [2].

Table 2: US military spending as a percentage of discretionary spending, 1962--2003

Fiscal Year Military spending as percent
of discretionary spending
1962 72.9
1963 71.3
1964 69.5
1965 65.6
1966 65.4
1967 67.6
1968 69.6
1969 70.5
1970 68.1
1971 64.5
1972 61.7
1973 59.1
1974 58.4
1975 55.5
1976 51.2
1977 49.5
1978 47.8
1979 48.7
1980 48.7
1981 51.3
1982 57.0
1983 59.4
1984 60.1
1985 60.9
1986 62.4
1987 63.6
1988 62.6
1989 62.2
1990 60.0
1991 59.9
1992 56.7
1993 54.2
1994 52.1
1995 50.2
1996 49.9
1997 49.6
1998 48.9
1999 48.2
2000 48.0
2001 47.1
2002 47.5
2003 49.0
Data source

The data in Table 2 are the same as those in Graph 2 and are also taken from reference [2].

THE DEFENSE BUDGET is what i have been speaking about, not solely the military budget when i speak about the waste and corruption....

and when it comes to the standing army, it is suppose to be the navy funded fully by the federal gvt and the State Militia(National Guard) for congress to call up and pay for, when needed in the defense of our country, BUT NO LONGER than 2 years at a time!

THIS part of our Military involvement was NOT suppose to be funded fully, with no end, by our federal gvt...otherwise it would not have made mention to the limitation of 2 years at a time at the longest for funding projects, by our founders imo!

 

[Polk]

Also, talking about defense spending as a percentage of GDP is meaningless. If 100 percent of Vanuatu's GDP went into defense spending, we'd still spend several hundred more times than they do.