Turboswede
Very Metal
Really..
On average, the annual cost of the welfare system amounts to around $5,600 in taxes from each household that paid federal income tax in 2000. Adjusting for inflation, the amount taxpayers now spend on welfare each year is greater than the value of the entire U.S. Gross National Product at the beginning of the 20th century.
Yes Really...
We havent addressed how state taxes are apportioned so State spending on welfare is not relevant to the argument about Obamas Federal Income Tax Policy. In addition, my state does not have an income tax so that our system is probably what the right would love to see, an 8.5% flat consumption tax.
Anyway, using the same logic applied in your referenced article FEDERAL Welfare spending boils down to $313B and that is $4040 per family and 74% of the GDP of the US in 1900.
If we take defense, homeland security and the war on terror thats $660B or $8,525 per family or 1.5 times the US GDP in 1900.
If welfare spending is out of control, military spending is in control and leads the deficit and debt around by the nose.
I thought I would throw in some illustrations of how defense spending has just become outrageous. Here is a breakdown, in 2007 dollars, of the costs ou US Wars from the OMB:
Iraq and Afghanistan To Date $808 billion
Vietnam War $670 billion
World War I $364 billion
Korean War $295 billion
Persian Gulf War $94 billion
Civil War $81 billion
(both Union and Confederate costs)
Spanish-American War $7 billion
American Revolution $4 billion
Mexican War $2 billion
War of 1812 $1 billion
So, besides WW II the war on terror has been the most expensive to date.
And here is a visual representation of our military spending vs the rest of the world.
I guess the reason for the size of our defense budget is that we need to be able to fight and defeat every military on the planet simultaneously.
So, our defense spending is rational, but providing health coverage to uninsured children isnt?