According to the latest comparable figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, America accounted for 45% of the world's military spending—$1.2 trillion in 2007—more than the next 14 biggest countries combined.--SOURCE
Perhaps it is time to spend less on war and more on domestic issues like poverty reduction, education and health care.
Alternatively, once this recession has passed, we could use this to greatly reduce deficit spending.
It seems to me there are much better ways to use this money.
6 comments:
When we print out this blog into a book it will be nice to have some current events in our family "diary". Our kids will never question their father's political views! :) love you babe.
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Well said, Chris. Well said.
That's pretty crazy. Coming from the "Peace research institute" makes me slightly question the relative magnitudes but even if they were off by 50% that's still insane.
You could thank your lucky stars we are the safest country in the world.
1. I am grateful to live in America.
2. Being grateful to live in America does not mean I must turn a blind eye to the social and political ills of our society.
3. One such ill is our focus on military might. If you believe the spending is justified, feel free to explain why.
4. America is nowhere near the safest country in the world. According to GPI, the US ranks 97th. Other measures have the US ranked higher, some lower. (The variation is due to what inputs are used to determine safety). But none that I have seen have us in even the top 10 safest countries
I think it is important to have a strong military, but we could spend less and be safer. Other countries do. We are wasters and spenders and it needs to change. But I think it will get much worse before it gets better. old habits die hard.
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