Here's An Interesting Tidbit:The "One Time" Stimulus of 2008 Has Been Made Permanent

[FaninAma]

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/10/federal-spending-by-the-numbers-2012

Obama stated the country needed the 750 Billion dollar stimulus to pull the country out of the recession and that it would be a one time thing? Well, apprently thanks to Harry Reid's ploy of using continuing budget resolutions and going off last year's budget without creating a new budget the stuimulus has been baked into government spending every since. That makes the anemic economy numbers appear even worse.

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/10/federal-spending-by-the-numbers-2012

But we just need to spend more money...right?

BTW, it appears military spending is 18% of the budget and entitlements are 62%. Where or where do we really need to cut? Answer: the whole damn budget and give everybody a tax break.....dollar for dollar.

[FaninAma]

Wow, Obama has increased the Science and Technology budget by a whopping 2 Billion from 2001. I bet that doesn't even keep up with inflation.

[Midtowner]

http://old.armscontrolcenter.org/policy/securityspending/articles/us_vs_world.gif

--just sayin'

[FaninAma]

http://old.armscontrolcenter.org/policy/securityspending/articles/us_vs_world.gif

--just sayin'

I wonder what the pie graph would look like if you replaced it with entitlement spending? I'm sure the US would again dominate that graph although the socialistic western Europe governments would make our share look a little better.

Or how about a pie graph of total public debt?

[sooner_born_1960]

How about a pie chart of pie consumption? It would be just as relevant.

[Midtowner]

The pie chart shows that our military budget is almost more than the entire world combined. This is not remotely justifiable unless your goal is government spending to prop up a weak economy.

[sooner_born_1960]

Still irrelevant to the thread topic.

[FaninAma]

The pie chart shows that our military budget is almost more than the entire world combined. This is not remotely justifiable unless your goal is government spending to prop up a weak economy.

I bet our total entitlement spending comes pretty close to equaling that in the rest of the world, too. If you are going to argue debt as a percent of GDP then all spending should be argued that way. So the US' military spending as a percent of GDP is what? Then campare that to the rest of the world. I am sure it would still be higher but lets compare apples to apples.

[Midtowner]

Total entitlement spending isn't really a fair comparison. As a percentage of GDP...maybe more fair.

http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?datasetcode=SOCX_AGG

Out of the 34 countries surveyed, we have the 8th lowest percent of GDP spent on social welfare.

[pphilfran]

I bet our total entitlement spending comes pretty close to equaling that in the rest of the world, too. If you are going to argue debt as a percent of GDP then all spending should be argued that way. So the US' military spending as a percent of GDP is what? Then campare that to the rest of the world. I am sure it would still be higher but lets compare apples to apples.

US GDP of 15 trillion
World GDP 70 trillion

[pphilfran]

So we are spending 700 billion on 15 trillion or just under 5%

Rest of world 700 billion on 55 trillion or just about 1.5%

[FaninAma]

Then convert defense spending to a percentage of GDP and compare to other countries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures

We are still in the top 3 but when you compare apples to apples(percentage of GDP) it doesn't look that out of balance. I think we need to cut military spending but the assertion that's all we need to do is disingenious.

[Harry Beanbag]

I think we need to cut military spending but the assertion that's all we need to do is disingenious.

Not to mention flat out retarded.

[Midtowner]

So we are spending 700 billion on 15 trillion or just under 5%

Rest of world 700 billion on 55 trillion or just about 1.5%

The numbers/rankings I provided were based upon 34 developed countries. I don't think we could impose, for example, Chinese concepts of social spending and have a very happy public. Therefore, to compare us with China or Eritrea is exactly fair.

[Midtowner]

Then convert defense spending to a percentage of GDP and compare to other countries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures

We are still in the top 3 but when you compare apples to apples(percentage of GDP) it doesn't look that out of balance. I think we need to cut military spending but the assertion that's all we need to do is disingenious.

The notorious bank robber Willie Sutton once answered the question "Why do you rob banks" with "Because that's where the money is."

Not much different here. We have this big huge military that we don't really need for defensive purposes and can't really afford to be the sole military actor to right the world's wrongs.

[cleller]

http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww14/cs6000/tumblr_lx7fw5X4Jy1qcpel0_zpsdda1c778.png

[FaninAma]

http://i701.photobucket.com/albums/ww14/cs6000/tumblr_lx7fw5X4Jy1qcpel0_zpsdda1c778.png

Actual in 2012 was 676 billion.

[Harry Beanbag]

The notorious bank robber Willie Sutton once answered the question "Why do you rob banks" with "Because that's where the money is."

Not much different here. We have this big huge military that we don't really need for defensive purposes and can't really afford to be the sole military actor to right the world's wrongs.

That's a good story, too bad you suck at applying it to the topic at hand. "Where the money is" actually happens to be in the 62% entitlement spending, it's glaringly obvious. See, 62>18. By a lot.

[Blue]

Midtowner just needs to go ahead and admit he hates the fact that the U.S. is a superpower. He would much rather us be "neutral" and poor apparently.

Liberals make the classic mistake of thinking they are "part of something". Like their Democratic overlords actually give two ****s about them and the crap they spout. They side with BS theories like global warming, gay marriage and amnesty for all, completely abandoning reality. It makes them feel better about their empty existence. Everything is always ok as long as O'Bum **** is in office. Conservatives knew things were wrong when G Bush was rolling out stimulus after stimulus and bailout after bailout "Abandoning free market principles in order to save the free market."

We can admit this thing has been going south through 20 years of inept leadership. Can they? Hell no. Alls peachy in Liberal Land.

[diverdog]

So we are spending 700 billion on 15 trillion or just under 5%

Rest of world 700 billion on 55 trillion or just about 1.5%

That does not even include all the other items that are part of the military industrial complex. It really is out of hand.

[diverdog]

Midtowner just needs to go ahead and admit he hates the fact that the U.S. is a superpower. He would much rather us be "neutral" and poor apparently.

Liberals make the classic mistake of thinking they are "part of something". Like their Democratic overlords actually give two ****s about them and the crap they spout. They side with BS theories like global warming, gay marriage and amnesty for all, completely abandoning reality. It makes them feel better about their empty existence. Everything is always ok as long as O'Bum **** is in office. Conservatives knew things were wrong when G Bush was rolling out stimulus after stimulus and bailout after bailout "Abandoning free market principles in order to save the free market."

We can admit this thing has been going south through 20 years of inept leadership. Can they? Hell no. Alls peachy in Liberal Land.

There is no such thing as a "free market". Never has been.

[diverdog]

Then convert defense spending to a percentage of GDP and compare to other countries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures

We are still in the top 3 but when you compare apples to apples(percentage of GDP) it doesn't look that out of balance. I think we need to cut military spending but the assertion that's all we need to do is disingenious.

true

[Blue]

There is no such thing as a "free market". Never has been.

Well I would agree with that since its damn near impossible. That doesn't give you the right to regulate my business out the *** and tax it out the *** to support your HALO playing broke ***.

[diverdog]

Well I would agree with that since its damn near impossible. That doesn't give you the right to regulate my business out the *** and tax it out the *** to support your HALO playing broke ***.

Hope you are not talking me. My wife and I pay a lot in taxes.

[FaninAma]

Hope you are not talking me. My wife and I pay a lot in taxes.

I think he's using "you" in a general way.

[Midtowner]

Then convert defense spending to a percentage of GDP and compare to other countries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures

We are still in the top 3 but when you compare apples to apples(percentage of GDP) it doesn't look that out of balance. I think we need to cut military spending but the assertion that's all we need to do is disingenious.

Tops on that list is Eritrea. Small economy, but still a country whose government has one focus right now--survival. They are fighting a protracted war with Ethiopia and currently maintains a force of 300,000 troops on the border. Last I checked, we haven't had a war with a neighbor (unless you count an almost war with Mexico during WWII) for well over 100 years.

Next up is Saudi Arabia, which has been invaded within the last 20 years and is bordered by several questionably stable States which would very much like to seize the Saudis' cash cow oil fields.

Then there's Oman, under a constant threat of insurgency or tribal warfare.

Then the UAE which as late as 2011 almost saw war with Iran.

Then Israel who is surrounded by countries which want Israel to cease to exist.

Then there's Chad, which is currently embroiled in a civil war.

Then there's Jordan, who is caught between numerous well armed countries who don't like each other very much.

Then there's Iraq, which has to have a strong military to stay together.

Then Georgia, which has already been invaded once by the Russians.

Then us. What excuse do we need to be spending the same percentage of GDP on military affairs that all of these other countries which face immediate existential threats spend? What possible foreign policy goals require this level of military strength? Are we planning on going to war with the entire rest of the world?

[StoopTroup]

In other news the Dow is at 14,000 and I'm getting my XBOX repaired.

[FaninAma]

Mid, I'm on your side on this issue but lets not pretend the military budget is the thing bankrupting the country right now.