GOP outlines 2.5 Trillion in spending cuts (none to defense)

Best offense is a good defense.

 

Democracy?

 

The Odd Couple: Ron Paul and Ralph Nader Take On the Corporatocracy

A Libertarian-Progressive Alliance?

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I was only showing that as an example of the difference between our military expenditure and the next closest country.

You can choose to believe or not to believe their actually military spending numbers (even if you double what their reported numbers are they are still many times less than ours) what you can believe is the physical military hardware they have (aircraft carriers, subs, planes, etc).

The United States's reported budget is not accurate either, since it does not include spendings in nuclear weapon (research, maintenance, production), military aids to foreign countries, and things that NASA does on behalf of the military (the classified X-37B etc).

 

I am in favor of spending cuts. I am also in favor that the rich should share in everyone's pain and not get rewarded just because they are rich.

Spending cuts should be coupled with tax increases on the rich so that we can finally balance the budget.

Dollar for dollar.

 

The best way would be for people in the middle, both right and left leaners, to get together rather than continuing to allow themselves to fight with each other at the behest of Fox and MSNBC. As long as we are busy fighting with each other, we will be too exhausted to fight the entrenched powers to change the status quo.

 

This is what I have been arguing for over the past decade or so. The people in the middle of the political spectrum could wrest control of the country from the far left and far right (each controlled by their own entrenched interests) if we stopped fighting one another.

 

Every single politician is worried about making the popular choice for their respective party. Whatever keeps them in power, they'll make sure it happens much to the dismay of everyone else that is getting hurt by this petty back-and-forth **** fight.

Tax breaks for everyone! Yay! (Because we'll find a way to make up for all these deficits somewhere down the road... later... eventually... bleh)

 

You think Paul and Nader are in the middle of the political spectrum?

 

Ignore how the media portrays these men. Republicans dont like Paul because he argues against them and holds them accountable for their out of control spending. Same thing goes for Nader on the left. You have Fox, CNN,MSNBC portraying these guys as extremists. But if you ever sat down and listened to them what they say for the most part makes a lot of sense. Even the 10 min clip posted above. Listen to what they had to say and stop letting your political affiliations get in the way. You can't tell me what they are saying doesn't make sense.

 

They should cut a large chunk from the military budget as well as the other things listed. They should also look at raising the retirement age and cutting entitlements. Government salaries are way higher than private sector counterparts. Government employees including congress should be lowered. We have to get spending under control before the country goes bankrupt. If the country ever goes bankrupt then everyone will suffer. Spending has to be brought back in control!!!

 

Oops!! Should have read "Government employees salaries including congress should be lowered."

 

Is that right, cut our military spending while north Korea, Iran, Hezbollah, Russia and china are gearing up?

 

Yes. Change our spending as well. If you are talking about matching up with Iran, and Hezbollah then spending more on new weapons systems won't help. We need to reconfigure our troops and strategy on occupation and counter-insurgence. If all we did was maintain where we are now we are still capable of taking all of those nations for the next decade.

 

I do not care for cutting the military budget myself for the reasons you list however, we have to get our spending and debt under control. If this country goes bankrupt, it would be very easy to defeat us. We need to cut the budget in ALL areas. Improving our financial situation is a defensive move in itself.

 

If Republicans are serious about making spending cuts, they should compromise with Democrats for cuts in the inefficient and wasteful portion of domestic spending by agreeing to large cuts in defense spending. In fact, if they were serious about spending cuts, they would make large cuts to defense spending regardless of whether or not they could get Democrats to accept cuts to domestic spending.

 

Excellent post. The GOP is not now nor has it been serious about cutting spending. They've talked about it for decades and numerous opportunities to do it, but never have. They've cut taxes but not spending.

 

I fully admit that the Republicans have never been good at reducing spending. What happened under Bush was ridiculous. The problem is that the Democrats make the Republicans look like tight wads. In Pelosi's 4 years as speaker our national debt increased by 5 TRLLION dollars. Now both sides have to work together to reduce spending before we go bankrupt. The status quo is unsustainable.