Want to cut billions of dollars of waste from the U.S. federal budget? (So we can put the money to best use in reviving our ailing economy?) Here’s how: Cut the “Defense” budget. Let’s start by cutting so-called defense costs by 25%.
“Defense” consumes half the federal budget. And an immense amount of “defense” money is wasted; it just goes to pad the pockets of defense contractors.
Huge amounts of the Defense budget are spent for wasteful purposes, like having military bases in virtually every country and territory on the globe. (Are we expecting an invasion by space aliens? Do we seriously think having bases worldwide would help with that?)
And Defense money is spent on wasteful projects, including absurdly expensive megaweapons that do not work, that duplicate existing weapons (which may or may not work). (Star Wars, anyone?)
Billions have been spent on no-bid contracts for GOP administration cronies. For example the no-bid contact to Halliburton in Iraq, for which the U.S. was charged for four meals for every one meal that was actually served.
The neocons used to scream that the U.S. does not need to police the world—that was when President Clinton was helping to save millions of people in Eastern Europe.
As soon as the neocons seized power, they started singing a different tune. Beefing up the bloated defense budget even more pleased the lobbyists who finance their campaigns and reward them with cushy jobs when they leave government service (as if they were ever serving us!).
Notice that I am not advocating cutting military salaries (which need to be raised for the lower ranks) or cutting military or veteran’s benefits. Our troops deserve the best services, benefits, weapons, person protection (body armor), and armored transport in battle (all things that were woefully underfunded, inadequately provided, or actually slashed by the Bush administration.
In fact, those areas of the federal budget that need to be increased—but they are just a small fraction of the defense budget.
Oh, and here’s a thought: Closing the hundreds of secret torture prisons the U.S. has been supporting around the world is bound to save some cash, too.
We should absolutely outlaw the use of mercenaries (coyly referred to by the media as “contractors”) like Blackwater and their equally overpaid competitors.
Doesn’t anyone remember that the British use of Hessian mercenaries was one of the factors in their loss of the American Revolution? It made the Colonists furious.
Instead of paying 10 times the salaries to mercenaries that we pay to our own troops, let us fire the soldiers of fortune and put the savings into properly outfitting, paying, and supporting our own troops—both those in active service and those who are veterans..
Let’s use the leftover savings to help unemployed Americans, people who are about to lose their homes, and people who need healthcare. And while we are at it, let’s improve education, especially history and government courses.
What do you say?
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