Cutting Meaningless Defense Spending
Defense spending takes up about 19% of the budget, making it tied with Social Security as the largest or second largest part of the federal budget¹. In the fiscal year of 2011, the Defense department spent above $721.3 Billion dollars². The vast majority is spent on Operations and Maintenance, which cost the nation $312 Billion² dollars in 2011. So how can we cut Defense spending without harming our own Defense? There are several things we can do. To cut Operations and Maintenance, we can simply close down U.S. bases in Europe and in Japan. Such bases are no longer needed. The current policy of the U.S. Navy is one of Constant Global Presence. In fact the U.S. has over 63 bases worldwide. One can say the U.S. has a presence on every single corner of the globe. There is not a place where the sun does not shine, and there is no American influence. We do not need bases in Italy, Germany, Japan, or in Kosovo. The Soviet Union no longer exists! There is no need for bases in Europe or Japan. Closing bases in the Philippines would also be a great idea, since there really isn’t a real need to have bases stationed there. Closing bases in those countries would cut costs dramatically, and it would keep more of our men and women home. This type of cut in Defense spending is not anti-patriotic, nor is it a slap to our men and women in uniform. Benefits would not be taken away, nor wages be lowered. This is a great solution to help balance our budget.
Sources:
1. . ”Revenues, Outlays, Surpluses, Deficits, and Debt Held by the Public, 1969 to
2008.” Congressional Budget Office. Federal Government, n.d. Web. 9 July
2011. http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/100xx/doc10014/March2009_HistoricalTables.pdf
2. Downsizing the Federal Government. CATO Institute , n.d. Web. 9 July 2011.
http://www.downsizinggovernment.org/
