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THOSE WHO WANT TO INCREASE MILITARY SPENDING USE THE FOLLOWING ARGUMENTS: |
OPPONENTS OF INCREASED MILITARY SPENDING COUNTER WITH THE FOLLOWING POINTS: |
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1. Defense spending has declined since the 1980s |
1. Even though military spending has
declined since 1989 (the peak year for spending before the Cold
War ended), U.S. share of total worldwide military spending has
increased from 30% to 34% of the total. (Based on 1997 figures.)
Military spending by the U.S. and its allies (NATO, Japan, South
Korea) account for 60% of total worldwide military spending. |
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2. Even though the Cold War is over
and the Soviet Union is no longer a threat, the U.S. still faces
threats from smaller "rogue" nations (North Korea,
Iran, Iraq, Cuba, Libya, Sudan, and Syria.) |
2. The U.S. spends 18 times the combined
military budgets of the "rogue" nations and twice as
much as the rogue nations plus Russia and China. |
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3. U.S. military forces must be ready
to fight (and quickly win) two major regional wars at the same
time. |
3. The current two-war strategy is unrealistic-it
assumes that we would fight two simultaneous wars with no help
from our allies. |
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4. Readiness will decline if funds are
not increased for training and equipment. |
4. The rhetoric about "readiness"
may not accurately reflect reality. The fact that U.S. forces
were overwhelmingly superior to the opposition in the last two
wars (Iraq and Yugoslavia), seems to contradict the idea that
our forces may not be ready. |
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5. There are many long-term demands
on U.S. troops, such as peacekeeping in the Balkans. |
5. If the budgets for foreign aid and
diplomacy were more m balance with the military budget, there
would be a better chance of preventing conflict and avoiding
military involvement. |
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6. The armed services have problems
recruiting and retaining qualified personnel, due to low pay
and benefits. Some military personnel qualify for food stamps. |
6. Enlisted men and women who are struggling
to support their families should receive a fair wage and adequate
housing and health care-as should all people who work. Money
would be available for these needs if the Pentagon improved its
financial management systems to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse
and shifted money from weapons procurement to personnel. |
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7. Increased spending will enable ailing
defense contractors to keep their factories open, and retain
jobs at military bases around the country. |
7. One billion dollars creates 25,000
jobs in weapons manufacturing; but that same $1 billion could
create 50,000 jobs in health care or 40,000 jobs in education.
If Congress would agree to the Pentagon's request to close unnecessary
bases, this could ultimately save $3 billion per year and convert
the bases to more productive economic use. |
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8. National security is our nation's
first priority. |
8. National security means more than
military power. To sustain a secure nation, federal spending
must be balanced among military defense, diplomacy, and programs
that provide economic security, such as education, health care,
and job training. |
Re-ordering America's PrioritiesPentagon
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