typical bernie
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US Senate approves $700B discretionary spending for military, def totals 15% budget
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typical bernie
It should be noted that the actual DOD budget is $574.5 billion. Overall defense related spending is $824.6 billion, but that includes Veteran Affairs, Homeland Security and costs of overseas wars in Iraq, Syria, etc.
Also that pie-chart shown on page 1 is a bit misleading, that only shows discretionary spending, i.e, spending that the Gov has control over. Most spending is mandatory in the form of Social Security and Health.
As you can see defense is actually 15% of total federal spending. Social security, at $1 billion is the biggest part of the budget.
The US though probably could do with cutting back on defense spending while still maintaining its status of No.1 military superpower, simply through cutting back on overseas wars.
Do you have 2017's graphs? Curious to compare them.
Goodness, 19% of the budget growth was interest and 7% of the total. We getting money from loan sharks?
PeskyToaster
Member
I guess our elected officials do think health care is more important than the military.
TarpitCarnivore
Member
I'm not agreeing we should shrug, just providing a reasoning to why it's not easy to just cut a budget by 10%. The base in my area is still unoccupied after 5 years and there is no clear sign when the land will finally see use. They're still trying to sell off the land and approve plans; plans which mind you are housing and a town center of shops despite a mall less than 2 miles away.
ClosingADoor
Member
These are different things though. Total versus discretionary.
R10Neymarfan
Member
You're right. All this money and yet I always hear news if military branches "downsizing" so who is telling the truth? Where did the money go?
Silent Chief
Member
So, what is the 3rd party after the Dems and GOP?
Who do you think those religious leaders who work full time at an ammunition factory in the south will entice their followers to vote for?
It's the industrial military complex that rules the US. That's why there is so many generals in the White House.
The trickle down economics works. A lot of that money spent on the military trickles down into the pockets of elected officials.
old manatee
Banned
A lot of Democrats proudly presenting their full asses.
RoninChaos
Member
Don't be obtuse. The 700 billion that they're pushing into the military could be better used to fix our healthcare system or our education. Hell, with that much money they could fix both. Instead, they're using money to build more ships and planes than the president (a guy who seems to get rock hard by shows of military strength) asked for. But then you watch congress say how broke we are, how education is broken, and how awful our healthcare is yet they can find 700 billion. So I stick by what I said. If you want to see someone's priorities, look at their budget.
SolarPowered
Member
I'm already halfway with her at this rate unless Bernie decides we're worth saving come 2020.
Mr. Poolman
Member
What is the end game? Feed your people with bullets?
old manatee
Banned
yep.
LegendofDragoonLives
Member
TheLaughingStock
Member
It's funny that a Senate full of Dems and Repubs gave the "Russian puppet" the greenlight for far more than what he requested. He said he wanted to dedicate more to the US military and the Senate was happy to oblige.
Democrats don't pretend to be for small government. In fact many openly support spending tons on social programs and military.
Enter The 36 Chambers
Member
Senators from... Both sides voted for this huh?
old manatee
Banned
Bush era bipartisanship is back on the menu.
newdayrocks
Member
My two Oregon senators putting in that work. Shame on all the Democrats who voted in favor of it.
It never really left. Both parties have been pro war for quite some time now.
llien
Banned
Can we change OP to show less misleading chart please? Exactly what is wrong has been pointed out on page 3.
I live in EU, but from what I see lawyers and doctors make times more money, then their colleagues in, say, Germany.
I live in EU, but from what I see lawyers and doctors make times more money, then their colleagues in, say, Germany.
Ceallach
Smells like fresh rosebuds
I wish some of this actually made it to the fucking military.
Our pay is stagnant, our retirement is being cut, housing allowances are being reduced, special pays are being eliminated, bonuses are being reduced, NCPace and TA is being reduced, our actual funding for repair parts and consumables has gone to shit, but it's okay because fucking Raytheon and Lockheed I'm sure are getting a lot of money for shit we never see and shit we don't need while the shit we actually can use and ask for gets fucking ignored.
Shit like this gets a pass from the public because they think this money is going to the actual military, to the Army, Navy(and marine cops), and Air Force. But it doesn't, it doesn't make its way down to us. It makes its way into the pockets of contractors, lobbyists and government officials.
Our pay is stagnant, our retirement is being cut, housing allowances are being reduced, special pays are being eliminated, bonuses are being reduced, NCPace and TA is being reduced, our actual funding for repair parts and consumables has gone to shit, but it's okay because fucking Raytheon and Lockheed I'm sure are getting a lot of money for shit we never see and shit we don't need while the shit we actually can use and ask for gets fucking ignored.
Shit like this gets a pass from the public because they think this money is going to the actual military, to the Army, Navy(and marine cops), and Air Force. But it doesn't, it doesn't make its way down to us. It makes its way into the pockets of contractors, lobbyists and government officials.
Vermillion
Banned
I feel the power already.
Hari Seldon
Member
If you want to backbone NATO, protect Japan and South Korea, this is what it costs. If you want to scale back the money you have to scale back the mission first. The pacific fleet is run ragged, the new ships are much needed. I don't know what I think about spending more money on more JSFs, they seem to not work correctly lol.
Angelus Errare
Banned
Because what if everyone else invades us and our military was only 5 times more powerful than everyone else instead of 10?!
America's hard on for it's military is sad. I imagine most folks would be fine with the federal government solely existing to financially feed the military.
So much more money is stolen from the military than is appropriated to it.
Yeah, that makes sense.
HighResTomato
Member
America's number 1 export. Democracy.
Hickbilly Deluxe
Banned
The same military that developed the 800 gajillion dollar F-35 just to turn around and experiment with combat armed crop dusters? Makes sense.
And like, a decade+ long war in the Middle East with support for a wide variety of other military "initiatives" in that geographical area.
PeskyToaster
Member
And the full budget has social security and health care much higher than the military so I stick by what you said as well.
This is a major problem and a major cost sink. We can't just sit there forever. These wars have no concrete war aims and thus no way to actually end them. I think it's high time to just leave.
Point being that they are unbelievable hypocrites and essentially a party that maintains the status quo while fucking over all over the people while claiming that free healthcare and free education are impossible.
Like, consider the Hilary quote from her book about Sanders' request for singlepayer healthcare:
Some of you seem to be reading this as though it is an increase of $700b when that's what the entire budget is.
The $77b increase is a lot of money, but for the US government, not really. Certainly it couldn't pay for single payer
Given that single payer would cost far more than $77b/year and would garner zero Republicam support, you have no point.
The $77b increase is a lot of money, but for the US government, not really. Certainly it couldn't pay for single payer
Point being that they are unbelievable hypocrites and essentially a party that maintains the status quo while fucking over all over the people while claiming that free healthcare and free education are impossible.
Like, consider the Hilary quote from her book about Sanders' request for singlepayer healthcare:
Given that single payer would cost far more than $77b/year and would garner zero Republicam support, you have no point.
old manatee
Banned
Point being that they are unbelievable hypocrites and essentially a party that maintains the status quo while fucking over all over the people while claiming that free healthcare and free education are impossible.
Like, consider the Hilary quote from her book about Sanders' request for singlepayer healthcare:
It turns out that if you want to pay for the pony you have to give a defense contractor a billion dollars to buy a pony and build it a nuclear mech suit. That's just pragmatic thinking.
legendaryskitch
Member
The only way this makes any sense is if the senate is truly planning on going to war. With that kind of ratio, we're definitely going to war soon.
ClosingADoor
Member
But the question is right there: How do you get everyone to agree?
PeakPointMatrix
Member
So usual Gaf overreaction?It should be noted that the actual DOD budget is $574.5 billion. Overall defense related spending is $824.6 billion, but that includes Veteran Affairs, Homeland Security and costs of overseas wars in Iraq, Syria, etc.
Also that pie-chart shown on page 1 is a bit misleading, that only shows discretionary spending, i.e, spending that the Gov has control over. Most spending is mandatory in the form of Social Security and Health.
As you can see defense is actually 15% of total federal spending. Social security, at $1 billion is the biggest part of the budget.
The US though probably could do with cutting back on defense spending while still maintaining its status of No.1 military superpower, simply through cutting back on overseas wars.
Only when it comes to military spending, as it always does for some reason.
HazySaiyan
Banned
If Democrats don't Jedi mind trick everyone into agreeing to big tax hikes to pay for single power, that must mean that Democrats and Republicans are the same.
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