U.S.: Venezuela Overspending on Military

[KamaAina]

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060120/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_venezuela_1

WASHINGTON - Venezuela is planning a "buying spree" for military equipment that goes beyond the country's legitimate needs, the State Department said Friday....

The transactions are part of what "we would consider an outsized military buildup in Venezuela," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

He also noted that the government of President Hugo Chavez has decided to activate its reserves and to create a million-person militia....

In response, McCormack said at the time the United States is concerned that the proposed sale "could contribute to destabilization in Latin America."

OMFG! An "outsized military buildup" that "contributes to destabilization" of an entire region! Such a horror must be prevented at any cost! Not to mention that the dastardly Chavez has the temerity to activate his reserves! Bring him up before the War Crimes Tribunal before it's too late! :sarcasm:

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

edit: Mr. McCormack, I strongly advise you to get the beam out of thine own eye before you dare inspect Chavez' for motes!

[tularetom]

1. pot meet kettle n/t

[Mika]

16. Huh? Who's the kettle?

Pot meet kettle - my ass.

[cliss]

22. The fact is - it's pretty outrageous for the U.S.

to make comments about other countries arming themselves. When in 2006 -- the U.S. will spend more on the military THAN ALL OTHER COUNTRIES COMBINED. It's a huge chunk of the total budget. I can't remember exactly what the percentage was on the "pie chart" but it was enormous.

[Mika]

23. Correct. There is NO similarity, NO comparison, NO pot meet kettle..

.. the US is in a category all to its own.

[IChing]

28. Denmark, Peru, Sinapore, Morocco among others spend more, list is here

United States $466.0 billion FY04 actual
China $65 billion 2004
Russia $50 billion
France $46.5 billion 2000
Japan $44.7 billion FY05
Germany $38.8 billion 2002
United Kingdom $31.7 billion 2002
Korea, South $20.82 billion FY05
Italy $20.2 billion 2002
Saudi Arabia $18.3 billion FY00
India $17.38 billion FY05
Brazil $13.408 billion FY99
Iran $9.7 billion FY00
Australia $9.3 billion FY01/02 est.
Israel $8.97 billion FY02
Spain $8.6 billion 2002
Taiwan $8,041.2 million FY01
Turkey $8.1 billion 2002 est.
Canada $7,860.5 million FY01/02
Netherlands $6.5 billion FY00/01 est.
Greece $6.12 billion FY99/00 est.
Korea, North $5,124.1 million FY01
Singapore $4.47 billion FY01/02 est.
Sweden $4,395.1 million FY01
Argentina $4.3 billion FY99
Egypt $4.04 billion FY99/00
Mexico $4 billion FY99
Poland $3.5 billion 2002
Colombia $3.3 billion FY01
Norway $3.113 billion FY98/99
Belgium $3,076.5 million FY01/02
Switzerland $2.548 billion FY01
Pakistan $2,545.5 million FY01
Chile $2.5 billion FY99
Denmark $2.47 billion FY99/00
Oman $2,424.4 million FY01
Kuwait $1,967.3 million FY01
Algeria $1.87 billion FY99
Finland $1.8 billion FY98/99
South Africa $1.79 billion FY01
Thailand $1.775 billion FY00
Malaysia $1.69 billion FY00 est.
United Arab Emirates $1.6 billion FY00
Romania $1.5 billion 2005
Austria $1,497.1 million FY01/02
Morocco $1.4 billion FY99/00
Iraq $1.3 billion FY00
Libya $1.3 billion FY99/00
Portugal $1.286 billion FY99/00
Angola $1.2 billion FY97
Czech Republic $1,190.2 million FY01
Hungary $1.08 billion 2002 est.
Indonesia $1 billion FY98/99
Peru $1 billion FY01
Philippines $995 million FY98
Venezuela $934 million FY99

Source:http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/spending.htm

[1932]

32. They're not even in the top five in South America.

[DerBeppo]

33. wait...

is that straight dollars or adjusted to match the percentage of each country's gdp? I imagine the order would change pretty drastically if gdp isn't a factor, but I don't know how that'd affect Venezuela's standing.

[IChing]

42. No waiting, it is STRAIGHT DOLLARS however

If you were the 7th largest oil producer in the world
what would you do on defense of your natural resources?

http://www.aneki.com/oil.html

[Rex]

2. Can I see the BFEE analysis of legitimate national defense needs

on a country by country basis? Good thing we are the final authority on legitimacy! :rofl:

[SammyWinstonJack]

3. What irony

:spank:

[JanMichael]

4. Holy shit that's the stupidest thing I've heard today!

We spend more that the next ten countries COMBINED!

[John Q. Citizen]

7. I wish the ratio was that small. n/t

[tabasco]

18. We spend more than the rest of the WORLD combined.

That milestone was reached in 2005.

[JanMichael]

19. Shit...I was going by the last figure that I saw which was in 2000.

Damn.

Damn us.

Damn the US.

Damn us to the hell we now deserve.

[Lasher]

25. Here are some more recent numbers

The U.S. military budget request for Fiscal Year 2006 is $441.6 billion. (This includes the Defense Department budget and funding for nuclear weapons activity of the Department of Energy Budget. It does not include other items such as money for the Afghan and Iraq wars ($49.1 billion for Fiscal Year 2006), or Homeland Security funding ($41.1 billion for Fiscal Year 2006), for example.)

For Fiscal Year 2005 it was $420.7 billion.

For Fiscal Year 2004 it was $399.1 billion.

For Fiscal Year 2003 it was $396.1 billion.

For Fiscal Year 2002 it was $343.2 billion.

For Fiscal Year 2001 it was $305 billion. And Congress had increased that budget request to $310 billion. This was up from approximately $288.8 billion, in 2000.

Compared to the rest of the world, these numbers are indeed staggering.

http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/ArmsTrade/Spending.asp#USMilitarySpending

Ike was right.

[Paulie]

45. It's more like $669 BILLION for FY 006

An awesome write up from an awesome site: http://www.d-n-i.net/fcs/defense_budget_tutorial.htm

[Lasher]

46. Excellent find!

I knew that there were significant unidentified costs when I poste my previous message. I decided not to elaborate at the time, but I'm glad you did.

Your source uses historical data to project a 2006 supplemental appropriations cost of $50B. But as you will probably recall, here is what John Murtha said about it:

Twenty years it's going to take to settle this thing. The American people is not going to put up with it; can't afford it. We have spent $277 billion. That's what's been appropriated for this operation. We have $50 billion sitting on the table right now in our supplemental, or bridge fund we call it, in the Appropriations Committee. They're going to ask for another $100 billion next year.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/07/AR2005120701588_pf.html

I think Murtha is in a position to know, so it's pretty safe to say the 2006 supplemental will be $100B, not $50B. I therefore believe your $669B total should be revised upward to $719B

[jimshoes]

5. That's too fucking rich

There aren't enough ROFLMAO smilies to do that bullshit justice. (They must be buying Russian stuff)

[Jim Sagle]

6. How is this any of our fuckin' business?

:shrug:

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

41. It just is. Shhh, don't ask questions. n/t

[MetaTrope]

8. Um huh

[tabasco]

9. The US spends half a trillion every year on military.

May I suggest that the US pull the timber out of its own eye?

[Warren Stupidity]

14. We spend something like 2B/yr

on military aid to neighbor Colombia. Do you suppose tht Venezuala spends anywhere near that amount?

[Geo55]

10. Yep , next he'll be be a "threat "

to the whole hemisphere ....even with out nukes....guy is getting scarier by the minute.

[UrbScotty]

11. And so the leadup to Operation Take Him Out begins (nt)

[Peace Patriot]

12. I laughed out loud at this headline! Thanks, KamaAina!

They sure love that word "destabilization," don't they?

[area51]

13. military spending

If we didn't spending so fscking much on our military-industrial complex, we'd already have universal healthcare.

[Warren Stupidity]

15. No shit.

When will our 'opposition party' 'leaders' ever start speaking out on this?

[pennylane100]

17. This has to win the prize'

the most ironic statement of the year, and its only January.

[HuffleClaw]

20. oh, they have GOT to be joking.

but sadly, no, they are actually serious. gotta 'catapult that propaganda' i suppose. but they are REALLY grasping at straws now, this stuff is getting way beyond just silly.

[Theduckno2]

21. Double fudge brownies, dipped in chocolate sauce.

They're "rich" too!

:rofl:

Unbelievable! Complaints of "destabilization" from an administration that wages preventative(aggressive) war, engages in a policy of torture through rendition and actively sought the building of a new generation of mini-nuke bunker-busters. Bushco sure gets high scores for audacity.

BTW has anyone heard similar complaints from Latin American countries?

I remember Turkey being so concerned about the Iraqi threat to their security, that they denied access to U.S. ground forces in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq. :sarcasm:

[demnan]

24. I sure wouldn't blame them

didn't Bush try to undermine Chavez and the right wing religious cronies in this country call for his death?

Wouldn't you step up the military if you were Chavez?

I sure would.

[drduffy]

26. just wanted to get ad hominem

f ing, pos, state department under the bush regime. What assholes. Like they have any credibility. Condi, eat it. In the end, you and your neocon buddies will removed from office, tried, punished. Can't be too soon.

[leesa]

27. Now THAT is rich! We are dictating the military budgets for other

countries...I guess if they exceed it, we invade??

You know, I have zero respect for our government. I am ashamed to be an American.

[alittlelark]

29. There is a DU poll that adresses this issue...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x198940

This article makes me think I may be off by a year or so.

[David Zephyr]

30. The pot is talking the kettle now.

:rofl:

[IndianaGreen]

31. How much has the war in Iraq costs us so far, and will cost in future?

The only reason Venezuela has to divert some of its resources into defense is to protect herself from US invasion.

This is like Hitler complaining that Poland is militarizing!

[Voltaire99]

38. Well said as usual, Indiana. (nt)

[Judi Lynn]

39. You're right.They had no fear of invasion from Bill Clinton.n/t

[jsamuel]

34. OMFG!

:rofl:

Venezuela: OMFG! :rofl:

[killbotfactory]

35. wouldn't want them well defended if we decide we must invade.

just like the good ol' days.

[daleo]

36. Translation - "no fair, they are trying to defend themselves"

No country but the U.S. is allowed to defend itself.

[applegrove]

37. In a neocon world - only the countries you like arm themselves. All

the others ignore your bullying.

[teryang]

40. The total defense budget is about $669.8 billion

Is Venezuela conducting a trillion dollar colonial war thousands of miles away from home?

Just How Big is the Defense Budget?
By WINSLOW T. WHEELER



http://www.counterpunch.org/wheeler01192006.html

...

<You might also want to consider some of the human consequences of current and previous wars; add about $68 billion for Veterans Affairs. Also, consider adding the costs of reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan which counts in the State Department's budget, plus all the other costs for international security, diplomacy, and foreign aid, as administered by Condoleezza Rice; add about $23 billion.

If you count all these costs, the total is $669.8 billion. This amount easily outdoes the rest of the world. In fact, if you count just the costs of the National Defense budget function, the approximate $538 billion we spend is $29 billion more than the $509 billion the entire rest of the world spends. <6>

Pick the number you believe to be most appropriate for "defense spending" in 2006. Presumably, you will not be using the $453 billion widely advertised by Congress and the press. Now, there can be an accurate debate on whether this budget is too large or too small. Please proceed.>

[AgadorSparticus]

43. They are so desperate to demonize this guy, they are willing to say

anything. Atleast, the rest of the world is getting a good laugh from this.

[donheld]

44. This could be funny if it wasn't so sickening.

:puke: that takes the prize for most hypocritically statement of the year.