US Defence budget reduction idea within US govt

Defense Budget Reduction
kdtroxel Flag

Looks Promising!
-37
I'm Not So Sure...12. Defense budget reduction: Defense spending in 2008 is projected to exceed $600 billion dollars. I have to ask the question that no one is asking, why/what/where are we spending this money on, and what value does it bring, if any. We are far less secure now that America is a warring country. Along with the immediate withdrawal of all troops abroad, I call on a dramatic decrease in defense spending. We the people of America demand and require a peace time economy, not known in the prior sixty years of our history. I suggest that defense spending should be capped at no more than $30 billion a year; during years of nonaggression.
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Nearly every president in the past thirty years has propped up a villain or villain society to justify increasing defense spending. The Bush proclamation during his first year of office, pronounces Iraq, Iran and North Korea as the new “Axis of Evil,” the preverbal short list of dangerous United States hating countries, bent upon the destruction of America and our ideals. This is a device invented by a string of presidents and congressmen who are financed by aspects of private and governmental agencies to promote the domestic spending on weapons and weapons systems. Congressmen bring to their represented state, funds for defense component contracts; this is publicly viewed as a return of wealth. This system is acceptable as an instrument of job growth provided by government, but federal funds spent on tangible public benefits, such as bridges, roads, education, health, safety, energy, resources, and enforcement of the laws already on the books, would be a higher purpose of public/private funds. Defense spending does not provide wealth. Defense spending is a black hole of vague accountability. Defense recruitment does artificially reduce unemployment, but often the horrors of modern warfare returns broken or mind shattered individuals. The armed force does train people with certain skills or provides continuing education opportunities as incentives of membership.
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The media blackout of the real day-to-day operations in Iraq helps prolong this conflict. If the American media would cover and interpret the opinions of the Iraqi people regarding the occupation of their country, I think this conflict would fast resolve. Since, no media is allowed to freely report the military action taking place; this deflects from the horror that is taking place. (depending upon point of view) Bush is terrified of repeating the mistakes of Vietnam, in that the media had more rights to report the news or the media was more interested or less controlled in reporting the news; not sure which. It doesn’t help that scenes such as the toppling of Sadam Husain’s statue was staged events, this hurts the credibility of news out of this region of the world.
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I believe that the best way for America to interject world confidence in the dollar is to end all occupations/wars. These petty conflicts are draining world perception that America is the land of just laws, personal freedom, and responsible government. As it stands now, the world perceives America as a resource conquering nation, imperialist America, or misguided/irresponsible neighbors. Since Nixon took the US dollar off of the gold standard, perception is the sole value of the dollar.
http://opengov.ideascale.com/a/dtd/4147-4049