Makes you think (American Military Budget)

I'm a military retiree, so talks about cuts to the defense budget will undoubtedly start with pay and benefits. Lately, Congress has been rubbing its hands greedily when it looks at retiree healthcare and retiree pay...

 

I know some people think that the idea of spreading some of the military money around, sounds "socialist" or "liberal". Something the GOP mouth-pieces at Fox News would rally up their viewers about.

But I'm always suspicious of talking points, that call for the middle class and the working poor to "work harder and sacrifice more". This kind of manipulative rhetoric, are tools the rich/greedy, spread to hijack patriotism, and make people think that it is somehow noble, to sacrifice our health and/or jeopardize our children's future.

I'm tired of being made to seem un-American because I think we should spend our own money making our own lives better. Instead of propping up an archaic military industrial complex.

 

unfortunately, making 'our' lives better sometimes means making the lives of other people better

and..sometimes.. just sometimes you need to apply a big stick to make that happen

america is a global power, after all.

kinda hard to be a global superpower (and reap the benefits of being one) when you're only looking after your own ass

 

RIGHT!

We are the easy targets

 

If they cut benefits from service men and women I would be the first one to call bullshit. I have a lot of friends and family who are retired military. So I would never advocate cutting the budget in a way that would hurt military families. There is so much money involved that there would be no need to touch benefits and any attempt to do such would just be political deception.

 

The Federal government spends way too much on the military budget and the Pentagon needs to undergo a full audit IMO.

I think most Americans would be surprised how many private entities are contracted to provide services to the DOD. Its in the tens of billions every year, much of it IMO non-essential.

No one, at least I'm not, is advocating cutting veteran's benefits!!! But this country could survive with a few less military bases, a few less aircraft carriers, fewer jets, transport vehicles, nuclear subs, fighter jets, etc.

It makes no sense the U.S. spends more on its military than all the nations of the world COMBINED.

And in (un)related news, nearly half of all Americans are poor or low income.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/15/census-shows-1-in-2-peopl_1_n_1150128.html

 

Last I recall, we collectively make up the United States of America and we, of all different factions, have the (moral) obligation to keep this country strong, even through taking tough measures. No one area is more important than another. Saying otherwise is ridiculous and absurd. In other words, if we're going to cut down on the deficit, even if the margins are small, then everyone has to put in some sort of sacrifice.

Military personnel should know about sacrifice all too well, for they've given their lives. But now, an incredibly economic problem still looms over all of us and everyone has to pitch in and contribute. No one department should be spared. Come on...are we going to continue this divide or finally unite under hard times?