Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

NewJeffCT

(56,828 posts)
14. It's pretty easy to cut defense money without hurting the economy
Tue Jan 8, 2013, 11:49 AM
Jan 2013

1) After we got out of Iraq, our spending their went from over $100 billion/year to around $5.4 billion. I suspect Afghanistan spending will be even less.

2) Right now, we have 75,000 or so troops in Europe, and even more in Asia. Cut those numbers in half and close some overseas bases, and you’ll save billions per year. Put those troops on US bases and we have 75,000 troops now spending their money in the local domestic economy instead of local economies in Germany, Japan, Okinawa, etc.

I WISH Joe Scar would have him on MJ talking about this. But, alas...Joe is still CTyankee Jan 2013 #1
Shouldn't the Commander in Chief over all recent administrations be blamed? He is the one who jody Jan 2013 #2
Congress does the Pentagon budget and fills it with pork for their districts. flpoljunkie Jan 2013 #3
CIC aka President routinely signs bills into law with caveats he will not do some thing. As a jody Jan 2013 #4
Even Rumsfeld tried very hard to get cuts through Congress and couldn't Recursion Jan 2013 #7
President Obama nominated Chuck Hagel to be Sec of Defense Cha Jan 2013 #8
Thank You Ezra! colsohlibgal Jan 2013 #5
I mentioned this the other day in a post about Hagel davidpdx Jan 2013 #6
If you want to see the national discussion take an IMMEDIATE turn Cosmocat Jan 2013 #9
I have no doubt that's the angle they will take davidpdx Jan 2013 #10
This is one of those truly "bipartisan" things Cosmocat Jan 2013 #13
Great chart One of the 99 Jan 2013 #11
Even Republican voters want deeper cuts than the sequester muriel_volestrangler Jan 2013 #12
It's pretty easy to cut defense money without hurting the economy NewJeffCT Jan 2013 #14
$ amounts and charts are staggering. If this doesn't get serious cuts from our congress then Filibuster Harry Jan 2013 #15
cut the profits from the gov. contracts and make them pay back our federal and state money. Sunlei Jan 2013 #16
Latest Discussions»Retired Forums»2016 Postmortem»Ezra Klein: We don’t hav...»Reply #14