pShould America cut back on defense spending?

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52 %

Yes

46 %

2 %

I'm not sure

@Sep '12 c 196 comments V 360 votes

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360 Votes

u

4 hr
LEC endorsed CheBravo

v Yes
u

13 hr
DanielMincin voted

v No
May 23
warwil630 voted

v Yes
u

May 23

Hireman

v Yes

As with all government agencies, we can't find some reasonable cost-savings? Some fat to trim? How's about starting with our 1000 worldwide bases... couldn't we get away with just 900? The US has a lot of interests, and this is costly and needs to be protected. But at some point with all of the tech we have, we know we can downsize the presence and therefor the spending.

Post
u

May 21
oldtimer2 endorsed _inGODiTrust_

v No
May 21
9MileTrucking voted

v No
u

u

May 21
sspphoto endorsed _inGODiTrust_

v No
u

May 20
DesignerLM voted

v Yes
u

May 20

Gatnos

v No

One of the prime functions of government is to provide for the common defense. This function is paramount to all others. Cut foreign aid, eliminate unconstitutional departments such as the EPA and Dept. of Education and the Energy Dept. Eliminate life time pensions for Congress, but do not cut back on our defense.

Post
u

May 20
buckilaked voted

v Yes
u

May 18
tomtheterrible endorsed Roger

v Yes
u

u

May 18
mxdirtdude endorsed Roger

v Yes
u

May 17
DrSilicon voted

v Yes
May 15
shihtzuman voted

v Yes
u

May 15
Rydad voted

v Yes
u

May 14

n1wp

v No

Like Ronald Reagan said - Peace through Strength. We still have enemies out there who threaten our very existence.

Post
u

May 14
stepped_in_it endorsed Roger

v Yes
u

May 14

IMAQT

v Yes

When you finance over 40 cents on the dollar and 12,000 boomers are retiring daily, no department or program should be exempt from cuts.

Post
u

May 13
catmanii endorsed DocPolitics

v No
u

May 13
PaulUK2901 endorsed CheBravo

v Yes
u

May 13
DanielZ endorsed Roger

v Yes
u

u

May 13
Jayden endorsed Roger

v Yes
May 13
Fyi1957 endorsed BigPuma

v Yes
u

May 12
DemonsAngel13 endorsed ram84

v No
u

May 12

URBS

v No

No need to cut back. There is a need to cut the waste and exploitation of the Defense Budget but our military need the best equipment we can give them.

Post
May 10
SavageMazx endorsed ir0nw0lfe

v Yes
May 10

whatheheck

v Yes

Anyone who has ever served in the military can attest to the abundant waste that go on there. It's only natural,after all, since it's part of the government.

Post
u

May 10
LilliB voted

v No
u

May 9
Jimbo voted

v Yes
May 9

Bill2E

v Yes

You can cut military spending by getting the bureaucrats out of the purchasing process. I have seen contracts with the DOD and they have a cost plus 10% in most. this allows the contractor to make money by wasting the governments money without limits. I saw an electrical plug in changed out 4 times by an electrician and his helper in 4 days.

Post
u

May 9
foodbaby endorsed Roger

v Yes
May 8
joyshusband voted

v No
u

May 8
Avoicenmany voted

v No
May 7
Republicans27 voted

v No
May 7

oldman75

v Yes

MIC Still in charge .B-35 billion dollar deathtrap .

Post
May 6

MarkColwell

v Yes

I disagree with any major cuts to Defense spending, we should simply freeze the Defense budget (for a decade if we can avoid becoming involved in new wars) and force DoD to find efficiencies and prioritize spending. Big cuts on the other hand are dangerous and destructive, they should be avoided at all costs.

Post
u

May 6
DogLady_1 endorsed Roger

v Yes
May 6

MarkJM

v No

Cut back on foreign aid first, then we'll talk defense spending cuts. Instead of doling out F18s and Tanks to Egypt, perhaps we should keep them, that would cut back from having to build new ones.

Post
May 5
Ktulue voted

v Yes
u

May 4

DotsonB

v No

We need to increase defense spending when countries are beginning to close the gap on America such as the current situation.

r8 replies

Post
May 4

DrFunkenstein

v Yes

With all the hate towards the United States we should spend more than everyone else on defense so we can cut our Defense Spending by 500 BILLION and still be number one in defense spending by almost 20 Billion dollars.

B1

Post
u

May 4

CircuitCircus

v No

Let's cut our support of foreign countries that hate us first. If defense spending is cut people need to consider all the jobs in the defense industry that will be cut as well, the domino effect would be huge.

r4 replies

Post
May 4

ZombieMedic

v Yes

THe US wastes too much money on the military. Scale it back to about 100,000 troops at most, and get out of foreign countries.

r3 replies

Post
u

May 3
BostonRob voted

v Yes
May 2

scotta

v No

NOT NO. BUT HELL NO.

Post
u

May 2
JVJx voted

v Yes
May 2

O_S_Thomas

v Yes

while we do have many enemies, tanks won't defeat these, our enemy threats have been battered so that most no longer control states, juts organizations and only a more low key, and coincidentally lower cost approach will stop them

Post
u

May 1
kimmie99 voted

v Yes
u

u

May 1
4PeteSake endorsed Roger

v Yes
u

May 1
Mr_Galt voted

v Yes

u

May 23

Hireman

v Yes

As with all government agencies, we can't find some reasonable cost-savings? Some fat to trim? How's about starting with our 1000 worldwide bases... couldn't we get away with just 900? The US has a lot of interests, and this is costly and needs to be protected. But at some point with all of the tech we have, we know we can downsize the presence and therefor the spending.

Post
u

May 20

Gatnos

v No

One of the prime functions of government is to provide for the common defense. This function is paramount to all others. Cut foreign aid, eliminate unconstitutional departments such as the EPA and Dept. of Education and the Energy Dept. Eliminate life time pensions for Congress, but do not cut back on our defense.

Post
u

May 14

n1wp

v No

Like Ronald Reagan said - Peace through Strength. We still have enemies out there who threaten our very existence.

Post
u

May 14

IMAQT

v Yes

When you finance over 40 cents on the dollar and 12,000 boomers are retiring daily, no department or program should be exempt from cuts.

Post
u

May 12

URBS

v No

No need to cut back. There is a need to cut the waste and exploitation of the Defense Budget but our military need the best equipment we can give them.

Post
May 10

whatheheck

v Yes

Anyone who has ever served in the military can attest to the abundant waste that go on there. It's only natural,after all, since it's part of the government.

Post
May 9

Bill2E

v Yes

You can cut military spending by getting the bureaucrats out of the purchasing process. I have seen contracts with the DOD and they have a cost plus 10% in most. this allows the contractor to make money by wasting the governments money without limits. I saw an electrical plug in changed out 4 times by an electrician and his helper in 4 days.

Post
May 7

oldman75

v Yes

MIC Still in charge .B-35 billion dollar deathtrap .

Post
May 6

MarkColwell

v Yes

I disagree with any major cuts to Defense spending, we should simply freeze the Defense budget (for a decade if we can avoid becoming involved in new wars) and force DoD to find efficiencies and prioritize spending. Big cuts on the other hand are dangerous and destructive, they should be avoided at all costs.

Post
May 6

MarkJM

v No

Cut back on foreign aid first, then we'll talk defense spending cuts. Instead of doling out F18s and Tanks to Egypt, perhaps we should keep them, that would cut back from having to build new ones.

Post
u

May 4

DotsonB

v No

We need to increase defense spending when countries are beginning to close the gap on America such as the current situation.

r8 replies

Post
May 6

DogLady_1

Closing the gap? What other countries are spending upwards of $740 billion/yr on their military?

Post @DogLady_1
u

May 6

DotsonB

@DogLady_1 no one but they're getting closer on technologies...the increase in spending needs to be for r and d.

Post @DotsonB
May 7

DogLady_1

@DotsonB - R&D? Haven't we found enough ways to cause death and destruction? "Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living. We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount." --General Omar Bradley

Post @DogLady_1
u

May 7

DotsonB

@DogLady_1 r and d can also be used to find way to better protect our soldiers and citizens rather than just for bombs and missiles.

Post @DotsonB
May 7

DogLady_1

@DotsonB - That would be nice... but I have not heard of a single member of congress or the military who is interested in researching and developing ways to wage peace (which is the superior way to protect soldiers and citizens). Do you know of any R&D's like that?

Post @DogLady_1
View all 8 replies >
May 4

DrFunkenstein

v Yes

With all the hate towards the United States we should spend more than everyone else on defense so we can cut our Defense Spending by 500 BILLION and still be number one in defense spending by almost 20 Billion dollars.

B1

Post
u

May 4

CircuitCircus

v No

Let's cut our support of foreign countries that hate us first. If defense spending is cut people need to consider all the jobs in the defense industry that will be cut as well, the domino effect would be huge.

r4 replies

Post
May 4

DrFunkenstein

please look up the amount we send in foreign aid each year. I would tell you but I want you to look it up and then come back and retract your statement. Hint: ALL foreign aid is less than 1/14th the defense budget and 30% of our foreign aid is because of the 2 wars Bush started.

Post @DrFunkenstein
u

May 4

CircuitCircus

@DrFunkenstein Yes, 23.5 billion for foreign aid. That's 23.5 billion that could be used to build up infrastructure here and put Americans to work. Yes, only 1% of the budget. Now, consider how many people are employed by the military and defense contracts...you want to pull the plug on that right away? It's socialism...by a different name. Let's hear your plan. As far as Bush, you're not going to get an argument out of me. I never supported Iraq invasion nor Afghanistan, but I'm smart enough to know when soilders come home and defense contracts go flat someone has to fill in the employment gaps, not everyone is going to be installing windmills and solar panels.

Post @CircuitCircus
May 4

DrFunkenstein

@CircuitCircus My plan is simple, cut $500 BILLION from the Defense Budget and put it directly into infrastructure and science. Unemployment would be below 5% in a day and we could catch up to China in solar research and implement wind power like most of Scandinavia. Clean American Made Windmills generating free energy for American Homes that are connected by updated roads, bridges, tunnels, smart energy system and terabyte internet.

Post @DrFunkenstein
May 6

DogLady_1

I don't think we need to shell out $700+billion a year in military spending just to keep people in taxpayer funded jobs. Way too many Americans seek jobs working for the government, and even encourage their kids to consider lifetime careers in the military or with one of its many contractors, which are all heavily subsidized by the taxpayers. Every person who works for the government is one more person the taxpayer has to support. Every dollar the government spends to subsidize private business reduces another private business' chance to compete. Every dollar the government borrows is one less dollar a private citizen has to invest in his/her own future. Eve...

Post @DogLady_1
May 4

ZombieMedic

v Yes

THe US wastes too much money on the military. Scale it back to about 100,000 troops at most, and get out of foreign countries.

r3 replies

Post
u

May 4

DotsonB

100,000 troops? That would decimate our national security and our strength throughout the world. People fear us because of our military might. Without all of our troops people would laugh at us.

Post @DotsonB
May 5

ZombieMedic

@DotsonB The American public can be all the military that we need. Keep 100,000 trained for pilots and maintence and artillery crews, and the bulk can be drafted when necessar from the public. Armed Americans are what truly defend America. If we stay out of foreign affairs, we have no need for a large standing military.

Post @ZombieMedic
u

May 5

DotsonB

I see your point but I believe in the statement the best way to preserve peace is to prepare for war. That way other nations know we are ready in a second and i don't think a lot of americans would favor a draft.I do agree with you that we need to stop getting into so many other countries and wasting time/money there.

Post @DotsonB
May 2

scotta

v No

NOT NO. BUT HELL NO.

Post
May 2

O_S_Thomas

v Yes

while we do have many enemies, tanks won't defeat these, our enemy threats have been battered so that most no longer control states, juts organizations and only a more low key, and coincidentally lower cost approach will stop them

Post
May 1

harold_lloyd

v Yes

When you're winding down two wars, it would seem crazy if we didn't cut some defense spending. Not so much as to impair our ability to react to events anywhere on the globe. I'll also be a little ticked off if we abandon billions of dollars worth of equipment when we come home.

Post
Apr 30

Goose

v Yes

If we closed our 900 or so military bases in foreign lands, and brought those troops home, we could cut the Pentagon's budget a good portion and our national defense would not suffer at all. Just do as the Russians did - give up on ruling the world.

B1

Post
Apr 30

JustTheFacts

v Yes

Time to cut all the war mongers off and their access to taxpayer dollars!

Post
Apr 28

Prime_Meridian

v Yes

Yes, on "super-weapons". When you consider what kinds of warfare we've been involved in over the past 63 years, does it make sense to waste more and more money on stuff that will never be used (thank God!)

Post
R Load more comments...

u

Sep '12

Roger

v Yes

The U.S. now accounts for almost half of the entire world's military spending. The hypocrisy of politicians who'd strip the nation to the bone on education, culture, and healthcare while padding their home states with military contracting pork is staggering. Both Eisenhower's warnings and the old bumper sticker about bake sales and bombers have never seemed more apt -- the military-industrial complex is out of control, robbing citizens of the benefits they should be demanding from their government. Spending megadollars to kill people on the other side of the world is no substitute for spending smaller amounts to help keep people alive at home.

B2

r1 reply

e57 endorsed

Post
Sep '12

ram84

v No

To cut spending on homeland security is crazy....especially in the midst of all this bs going on in the middleast. i mean the threats have always been there but now they have there backward reasons to aim all there hatred towards us .... Why not pull all the support we have been giving to all these countries and put that additional funding toward homeland security instead of taking away it would probably make our citizens alot safer then we feel now.... This is all way to convenient for our enemies in my eyes.

r6 replies

e19 endorsed

Post
Sep '12

Quantummist

v No

As can be sen on the nightly news, we are heading for a wake up call... Cutting military spending at this time is suicidal ...

r2 replies

e8 endorsed

Post
u

Sep '12

_inGODiTrust_

v No

No HELL NO!!!! The brave men and women that defend us can't even make ends meet. They protect us and our freedom. We have to be protected that is the one thing we can't afford to cut. I say cut the politicians pay that will sure as hell be a huge chunk of money. Don't cut defense that would be insane.

r4 replies

e7 endorsed

Post
Sep '12

ir0nw0lfe

v Yes

Yes. I'm all for surgical fat trimming, like base realignment and contractor scrutiny by an outside agency like the OIG during a contract not after. I'm am totally against sequestration since its like conducting open heart surgery with a chainsaw. Cut the weapons systems and projects that don't work. America's military should be geared for quick response to LICs and prepared to deals with those same conflicts as they upgrade. The days of any agency getting a carte blanche check book are and should be over. And before you haters start fingering the hanging ropes, keep in mind, Im seeking to avoid sequestration at the time when America needs to show a stronger military...

B1

r7 replies

e6 endorsed

Post
Sep '12

DocPolitics

v No

Have you seen what's going on out there? We should be researching and developing radical seeking missles!

r4 replies

e5 endorsed

Post
Sep '12

CanadianIndy

v Yes

Absolutely. How is this up for debate? To be fair, everything should be cut. But don't start with the "parsley on the edge of the plate," such as NASA. But rather start with the big, heaping pile of mashers. Here's my suggestion on how the US could save billions in DoD spending, never mind other departments: - Close every military base on foreign soil with the exception of Rammstein, Diego Garcia and Okinawa. This would save billions in unneeded operating costs while still preserving the pointless, though unavoidable, need to reach anywhere on the Globe. - End all wars, police conflicts, police actions, peace actions, etc, INCLUDING UN peacekeeping involvement. This...

B2

r7 replies

e3 endorsed

Post
Sep '12

FaFoxy

v No

The U.S. military should ALWAYS have AT LEAST at 3 to 1 superiority over the next largest military power. ALWAYS !

B1

r2 replies

e2 endorsed

Post
u

Sep '12

CheBravo

v Yes

Lean and mean is the way to go. One less bomber builds 20 new schools.

B1

r1 reply

e1 endorsed

Post