5 Reasons the Obscene National Security Budget Is Larger Than It Appears

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/world/5-reasons-obscene-national-security-budget-larger-it-appears-0



***SNIP

1) War spending: Despite the fact that Obama still officially plans to end combat operations in Afghanistan by the end of the year, the budget includes $79.4 billion for the war in 2015. Granted, that is only a placeholder. The actual figure will be decided on later, but it does give a sense of what is to be expected, which is essentially a continuation of the tragic status quo.

2) Veterans: To take account of the total price tag of the many wars that the United States has fought — and continues to fight — the long-term cost of providing for veterans should be included. To meet these needs, $68.4 billion has been requested for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

3) Intelligence: With the CIA responsible for hundreds of drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, and the NSA secretly assisting the military with its assassination program around the world — as was recently exposed — it seems only right to include the proposed budget of $45.6 billion for the National Intelligence Program in this calculation.

4) Homeland Security: In any honest account of our actual “defense” spending, the $38.2 billion requested for the Department of Homeland Security should naturally be factored in, since it includes funding for cybersecurity, the TSA and border patrol.

5) Nuclear weapons: The proposed $8.3 billion associated with maintaining a “safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent,” as well as the ensuing $5.6 billion required for disposing of nuclear waste fall under the Department of Energy’s budget.

[KG]

1. it was amusing how the supposed 'small govt' goppers fell all over themselves to create HSA

[xchrom]

2. +1

[bemildred]

3. They lie about that too. I mean why not? It's been that way for decades. nt

[xchrom]

4. +1

[Major Nikon]

5. There are many government agencies that directly or indirectly support the military

If you add those line items to the DOD budget, the cost of our military becomes even more inflated.

[Larry Ogg]

6. Well now, it's a small price to pay...

So as we can keep safe the psychopaths that rule the world, well everyone else becomes their slave pawns and cannon fodder.

John Kennedy said, that "If mankind does not find a way to end war, war will end mankind". To bad that the USA is the worlds leading warmongering country, and most Americans just don' get it.

If only people could stop idolizing, and supporting the beneficiaries of war, but I dout that will happen prior to it being to late.

[Scuba]

7. If we can't afford to educate our children, to heal our sick or care for our elderly ...

... just what is it the defense budget is defending?

[xchrom]

8. i've said it before - i'll say it again - Best Observation Ever. nt

[Scuba]

9. Thanks xchrom. Only answer I've ever gotten that made a lick of sense was "corporate profits".

[WinkyDink]

10. The DHS, like everything else under Bushco, was intended to enrich the 1% further. Period.

[marmar]

11. k/r

[jsr]

12. Because Freedom Is Priceless

[xchrom]

13. !