The imperial defense of Pentagon bloat

[ensho]

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/10/the_imperial_defense_of_pentag.html


-snip-

The latest talking point du jour has been around in one form or another for years. It asks us to forget that a) America spends more on defense than every other major nation combined and b) the Pentagon, whose annual budget is now approaching World War II levels in inflation-adjusted terms, has lost track of trillions of taxpayer dollars. In light of those disturbing truths, we are nonetheless urged by Beltway Republicans to focus on the fact that defense spending is "4.9 percent of our gross domestic product, significantly below the average of 6.5 percent since World War II," as a recent Wall Street Journal editorial proclaimed.

That widely circulated article, aimed squarely at grassroots conservatives, was jointly written by three of the most influential Republican think tanks in Washington -- the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute and the Foreign Policy Initiative. And like clockwork, the "percentage of GDP" nugget went from their pen to the GOP's well-oiled media machine.

Within days, RedState.com was bewailing supposedly "historically low (defense) spending" and citing the GDP talking point as a "rallying call." The American Spectator magazine, meanwhile, held up the op-ed as an "important reminder to new Republican congressmen" to refrain from "shortchang(ing) both our troops and American national security." Not surprisingly, that's when the "percentage of GDP" stat began being loyally parroted by establishment Republican voices on talk radio.

-snip "hegemonic conquest"-

But maybe that's the unspoken admission in the GDP-themed push for more military expenditures. Perhaps for all of the GOP's outrage at war-for-oil allegations, the Republicans' defense spending rhetoric exposes their truly imperial vision -- one that even the slickest talking points can no longer hide.
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and c-span's Wash. Journal has neo cons from H.F., AEI, and FPI at the table all the time.

maddening

the pentagon needs deflated

[tularetom]

1. I like all the Roman Empire comparisons

But what killed the Roman Empire (as well as the British and Soviet Empires) was overemphasis on defense spending, trying to support an ever increasing military presence in more and more parts of the world.

The only difference between the Romans and us is that the Romans did in fact have REAL enemies - not made up ones created just to fatten the wallets of defense contractors.

[JCMach1]

2. Yeah, but what % of Federal budget, don't forget to add in those DARN

Veterans entitlements to that total.

Reputzes can go frack themselves!