Tue Jan 8, 2013, 03:31 AM

America says: Cut 'Defense'

Last edited Tue Jan 8, 2013, 12:56 PM USA/ET - Edit history (10)

Public prefers cutting defense spending: Reuters/Ipsos poll

Wed Mar 9, 2011 2:47pm EST

(Reuters) - A majority of Americans prefer cutting defense spending to reduce the federal deficit rather than taking money from public retirement and health programs, a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday showed.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/09/us-usa-budget-poll-idUSTRE7286DW20110309

A nationwide survey conducted in part by the Center for Public Integrity found strong popular support for deep cuts to the defense budget. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP file

May 10, 2012 Updated: 8:43 pm, September 5, 2012

Key findings:

Americans want to cut the defense budget deeply to help deal with the deficit, more than they want to cut other programs or raise taxes.

There is broad consensus on this goal, including large majorities of Republicans, Democrats, young, old, males and females.

Around three-quarters of Americans think spending should be cut for air power, ground forces, and naval forces.

Nuclear arms were given the biggest proportional hit, while ground forces took the biggest dollar hit; special forces had the most support.

More than eighty percent of Americans are convinced “there is a lot of waste in the national defense budget.”

While politicians, insiders and experts may be divided over how much the government should spend on the nation’s defense, there’s a surprising consensus among the public about what should be done: They want to cut spending far more deeply than either the Obama administration or the Republicans.

http://www.publicintegrity.org/2012/05/10/8856/public-overwhelmingly-supports-large-defense-spending-cuts

In December, Reuters asked Americans which of six budget items we could “afford to cut back on.” Defense was the most commonly selected option, outpolling education, Medicare, and Social Security.

In February, CBS/New York Times interviewers asked a national sample “which of the following programs would you be willing to change in order to cut spending?” Thirteen percent picked Social Security, 15 percent picked Medicare, and 52 percent picked the military.

A simultaneous National Journal survey offered respondents five areas—Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, Medicaid, and defense—and asked whether, in each case, “spending should be cut back a lot, some, or not at all to help reduce the deficit.” Defense was the only target on which an affirmative majority agreed, with 60 percent endorsing cuts and only 35 percent opposing them.

In April, an academic consortium headed by the Program for Public Consultation asked U.S. adults whether, in view of the federal deficit, Congress should raise some taxes, “reduce national defense spending,” or “reduce non-defense spending.” Respondents were invited to choose any combination of these options. Twenty-seven percent endorsed tax hikes. Fifty percent endorsed cuts in non-defense spending. Sixty-two percent endorsed defense cuts.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/frame_game/2012/08/obama_s_ad_against_military_spending_have_polls_shifted_on_the_defense_budget_.html

“The idea that Americans would want to keep total defense spending up so as to preserve local jobs is not supported by the data,” said PPC director Steven Kull. On average, Democrats supported a Pentagon cut of 22%, while Republicans wanted a cut of 12%. http://www.allgov.com/news/top-stories/disconnect-public-wants-cuts-in-defense-spending-democratic-and-republican-leaders-dont?news=844813

http://www.progressivesforobama.org

Polling data shows that Americans want to cut the Big War budget AT LEAST as much as is in the sequester (10%). AT LEAST that much. And only the most selfish want to cut grannies safety net.

So let's cut it!

PS - If you find yourself trolling the internet lobbying for Big War, you may want to check in with a conservative think tank - they'll pay you good money to do that!

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12 replies	Author	Time	Post
America says: Cut 'Defense' (Original post)	grahamhgreen	Jan 2013	OP
Amen to that!	Protalker	Jan 2013	#1
What better way to say "We support the troops" than to bring them home	Victor_c3	Jan 2013	#2
I agree with the poll	davidpdx	Jan 2013	#3
we need HUGE cuts in military spending. Our military spending is ridiculous	bowens43	Jan 2013	#4
Agreed. 50% will get us back to roughly where we were pre-war on "terror"!	grahamhgreen	Jan 2013	#6
Republicans are saying they are willing to let the sequester stand.	dkf	Jan 2013	#5
why do people keep pretending they are trying to get our votes, they don't give a shit what we want	No Compromise	Jan 2013	#7
Apparently they have an agenda - one that differs from the American people.	grahamhgreen	Jan 2013	#8
Only thing is, politicians don't care what the American people want. nt	raccoon	Jan 2013	#9
K&R. America says & Washington ignores. n/t	Egalitarian Thug	Jan 2013	#10
Cutting Big War is a no-brainer - and it's entirely left out of the discussion we see in the media,	grahamhgreen	Jan 2013	#12
DURec	leftstreet	Jan 2013	#11

Response to grahamhgreen (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 03:53 AM

Protalker (82 posts)

1. Amen to that!

It is about time the we start to get the peace benefits tha t getting out of 2 wars which were not paid for and start rebuilding our country instead of Afghanistan and Iraq.

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Response to grahamhgreen (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 05:17 AM

Victor_c3 (793 posts)

2. What better way to say "We support the troops" than to bring them home

(and not send them into pointless wars in the first place).

If we cut our military budget in half we would still have the worlds best (i.e. most expensive) military.

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Response to grahamhgreen (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 05:36 AM

davidpdx (8,781 posts)

3. I agree with the poll

We are going to have to cut defense to save other programs. Someone said to me (on here) that cutting defense will cost jobs. Well yes it will. So would cutting other programs too. Cutting the other programs will cause unemployment and people losing benefits. How's that for a double whammy..

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Response to grahamhgreen (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 06:06 AM

bowens43 (14,360 posts)

4. we need HUGE cuts in military spending. Our military spending is ridiculous

I think that 50% would be a good starting point.

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Response to bowens43 (Reply #4)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 12:43 PM

grahamhgreen (9,793 posts)

6. Agreed. 50% will get us back to roughly where we were pre-war on "terror"!

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Response to grahamhgreen (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 06:16 AM

dkf (32,614 posts)

5. Republicans are saying they are willing to let the sequester stand.

Mr. Boehner says Republicans are fairly unified now behind letting the sequester do its work: "I got Lindsey Graham, the biggest noisemaker on the sequester, and Buck McKeon"—the defense hawk who chairs the House Armed Services Committee—"on our side. I got it in my back pocket." The speaker is counting on the president's liberal base putting pressure on him when cherished domestic programs face the sequester's sharp knife. Republican willingness to support the sequester, Mr. Boehner says, is "as much leverage as we're going to get."

The sequester would cut the non-war defense budget to $491 billion in 2013 from $554 billion in 2012, a more than 9% cut. Not a cut below a baseline, but an actual dollar-figure cut.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/01/07/what-s-the-plan-speaker-boehner.html

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Response to grahamhgreen (Original post)

Tue Jan 8, 2013, 12:48 PM

No Compromise (373 posts)