Given its $597.5 billion military budget, the United States already spends more for war and defense than the next 10 nations combined ($579.8 billion).
It’s idiotic for the president and Congress to propose a 10 percent increase for the Pentagon while also threatening to slash funds for schools, health services, education, research, breathable air, drinkable/fishable water, edible food, safe medicines, feeding and nutrition programs, affordable housing, non-injurious toys, music, museums, parks, public broadcasting, and highways and other necessary infrastructure, and all the while ignoring global warming and rising seas.
With little of worth left to defend, why spend more on the military?
Gren Whitman
Rock Hall
Den Leventhal says
Tell that to Andy Harris.
Gren Whitman says
@ Leventhal: I plan to do just that!
On March 31, when — according to Harris’ office — our elusive, reclusive, so-called representative is spozed to attend a “town meeting” at Chesapeake College, starting at 6:00 p.m. (Todd Performing Arts Center seats 900, I’m told).
Hundreds of Andy’s Eastern Shore constituents are likely to attend, many with questions he may find exceeding his conservative comfort level.
joe diamond says
Gren,…worse than idiotic:
I search for a word I have never used to advise an adult. I reject the insulting labels we all use. IF it was easy we could all do it. ……… The best description I can come up with to describe the current Republican Party actions , as led by Donald Trump, is more in the direction of syphilitic monster among book worms. He won’t remember….we will not forget. I hear the words…….I think of members of the Republican Party I have known for many years,,,,,,,,,,,,,people I respect & seek advice from……………then there is The Donald.
I suspect now is the time for the Congress and the Constitution to enclose this defective POTUS…….and stifle his minions. idiots that they are.
joe
Gerald maynes says
Gwen, When are you going to allow reality into your thinking? Thanks to our peabrain former President, our military is the smallest since the great depression. Our primTy bomber,the ,b 52 us older then I am and I am 62 years old. We had trouble deploying aircraft carriers do to a lack of her parts and trained mechanics to actually repair them. Our fighter pilots, no longer practice as many hours in the air do to budget restraints. The entire Army has only three battle ready divisions. Our navy is at depression level in commisioned ships. Our nuclear force is controlled by late1980,s early 1990s computers. We need to spend the money or perhaps you think we could call out the malitia with their muskets,powder horns and Coon skin hats to defend the country.
James Nick says
Republican’s good…. Obama bad… always.
From https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/dec/14/politifact-sheet-our-guide-to-military-spending-/…
“… There are two main reasons for the spending drop. The first is the Obama administration’s decision to start removing U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. The second has to do with a process known as sequestration. Sequestration refers to the framework for automatic, across-the-board cuts to both military and non-military spending that were originally designed to force bipartisan negotiators in Congress to strike a deal in 2011. When negotiations fell apart, the cuts went into effect….”
Gerald maynes says
Yes and it’s time to repair the damage this has caused. This is reality ,take care of it now or one day we may be backed in the corner with out any other option but to use nuclear weapons. That’s one major reason to beef up our armed forces now to give some future President an alternative.