reply to post by riff_raff
Don't let facts get in the way of your middle-aged, peacenik, hippy flash backs.
What a nasty prejudice remark.
The U.S. Government says that military spending amounts to 20% of the budget, the Center for Defense Information (CDI) reports 51%, the Friends
Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) reports 43%, and the War Resisters League claims 54%. Why the variation?
Different groups have different purposes in how they present the budget figures. WRL’s goal has been to show the percentage of money that goes to
the military (current and past) so that people paying — or not paying — their federal taxes would know what portion of their payments are
military-oriented. Also, some of the numbers are for different fiscal years.
There are at least five different factors to consider when analyzing the U.S. budget:
discretionary spending vs. total spending
budget authority vs. outlays
function vs. agency/department
federal funds vs. unified budget
time period
Discretionary Spending. The Center for Defense Information (CDI) has used "discretionary" spending — budget items that Congress is allowed to
tinker with — which excludes so-called "mandatory" spending items (such as interest on the national debt and retirement pay). WRL does not make
such distinctions and lumps them together.
Past Military Spending. If the government does not have enough money to finance a war (or spending for its hefty military budgets), they borrow
through loans, savings bonds, and so forth. This borrowing (done heavily during World War II and the Vietnam War) comes back in later years as
"hidden" military spending through interest payments on the national debt.
How much of the debt is considered “military” varies from group. As mentioned above, WRL uses 80% whereas FCNL uses 48%. Consequently, FCNL
reports that 43% of the FY2007 budget is military (29% current military and 14% past military). WRL's figures are 54% of the FY2009 budget (36%
current — which includes 7% for Iraq & Afghanistan wars — and 18% past).
Outlays vs. Budget Authority. WRL uses "outlays" rather than "budget authority," which is often preferred by the government, news media, and
groups such as CDI. Outlays refer to spending done in a particular fiscal year, whereas budget authority refers to new spending authorized over a
period of several future years. Consequently, CDI reported $421 billion in FY2005 budget authority for the military and $2,200 billion "over the next
five years." While WRL reports outlays of $803 billion, plus an anticipated $162 billion in supplemental spending requests for Iraq and Afghanistan
wars, plus $484 billion in past military spending — totaling $1,449 billion — just for FY2009.
Function vs. Agency/Department. Not all military spending is done by the Department of Defense. For example, the Department of Energy is responsible
for nuclear weapons. Consequently, calculations of military spending should consider the function of the budget item regardless of the department or
agency in charge of it. However, not everyone agrees what constitutes a military function. For example, WRL includes the 70% of Homeland Security
(which includes the Coast Guard), and half of NASA in military spending, while other groups do not.
Federal Funds vs. Unified Budget. WRL uses "federal funds" rather than the "unified budget" figures that the government prefers. Federal funds
exclude trust fund money (e.g., social security), which is raised separately (e.g., the FICA and Medicare deductions in paychecks) and is specifically
ear-marked for particular programs. By combining trust funds with federal funds, the percentage of spending on the military appears smaller, a
deceptive practice first used by the government in the late 1960s as the Vietnam War became more and more unpopular.
What period are we talking about? Finally, there is some variation in figures because different fiscal years are used. WRL’s figures (above) are for
FY2009 (Oct. 1, 2008 to Sep. 30, 2009) as are the most recent U.S. government figures. FCNL sometimes does their analysis for the most recent
completed year or FY2007 (Oct. 1, 2006 to Sep. 30, 2007).
www.warresisters.org...
I believe we have been spending close to 51% and what you are seeing in the way of fall of the American economy is due to that uncontrolled
spending.
If we took just some of that blood money and put it towards better education and social programs for the people instead of using that money to blow
up, dismember and torture people (yes the world now knows us as a country that condons and uses torture) we would have a better society.
What Difference Does It Make to the Dead,
the Orphans, and the Homeless,
Whether the Mad Destruction Is Wrought
under the Name of Totalitarianism
or the Holy Name of Liberty and Democracy?”
- Mahatma Gandhi
The war in Iraq lest you forget was foisted upon the American People under the pretense of Weapons of Mass Destruction later to be found a out and out
lie.
"Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on
a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of
it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people
don't want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in
Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the
country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to
drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist
dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no
voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.
That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked,
and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the
country to danger. It works the same in any country."-- Hermann Goering
War never solved anything. It is the legally sanctioning of the mass murdering of fellow human beings and wrong.
Start researching on the large corporations (and friends of GWB) that have profitted handsomely from this war. This in and of itself is a
conspiracy.
[edit on 15-6-2009 by ofhumandescent]
