Should the U.S. Government decrease the current military budget?
Yes, decrease...
Side Score: 4
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No, stay the same...
Side Score: 2
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It should but it would have to be slowly over time. We have a number of allies which rely so heavily on the U.S. military that it's almost exclusive. The complaint about this countries consumption might hold a little water if other countries had to maintain their own forces to the extent necessary to actually protect themselves. I should re-emphasize that this should be done slowly. If we did an international draw down of military support over night (we'll pretend it's possible), many places would erupt in conflict. That's no way to treat an ally either. Side: Yes, decrease...
yes I think it is a good idea to decrease the military budget because they already have enough powerful and sophisticated weapons. Instead the government should concentrate on the elders because they are old and don't have jobs and they should receive adequate social security because of there condition and the same should be for the homeless people. We in the US should not attack other countries instead we should prepare for the worst in our own country and keep it secured. Side: Yes, decrease...
1
point
Securing our own country does not necessarily mean we should reduce our military budget. Preparing "for the worst", quote unquote, can require the use of extensive spending as there might be a need to protect against an attack by another country: this means we need to keep our military shipshape. Side: No, stay the same...
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Although the spending that the US has on its military is the largest in the world, only a small percentage of the government's total expenditure - about 4% of the GDP - is spent on the military. Although the spending was growing exponentially in previous years due to overseas engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, the spending is currently - and predicted to continue to drop in the coming years. As for the varied uses of the spending, it is spread out among many uses. Among these are funding for the: Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, NASA, the Treasury Department paying pension to veterans, the State Department, federal and local law enforcement, and Veterans Affairs. The US also uses its military spending to develop new technologies and supplies that may help our allies or our troops in any future engagements or that we can sell for a profit. Side: No, stay the same...
Government expenditure is but a portion of of GDP. 4% of our entire GDP (it doesn't belong to the government), is kind of a big deal. While there are a lot of important reasons for a military budget, state and local law enforcement is not one of them. The varied uses are spread out, and they include some things that we don't need to be doing. If we could eliminate the waste and the unneeded aspects, we could significantly decrease our military budget. Side: Yes, decrease...
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