What size military does the US "Need"? What level of spending?

[BrentWil]

If you the ability to reset US foreign policy to anything you like, how big of a military is actually needed?

[LiberalAndProud]

1. To begin, I'd cut it down to equal the rest of the world's military budget combined.

It could get smaller from there, but a dollar for dollar match against the entire military spending in the rest of the world would be the max marker. That would be a start.

[Old and In the Way]

2. I'd say, lets try a 30% immediate reduction.

Exit Afghanistan and Iraq and start invoicing Big Oil for the protection we supply to get their product from the ME to market. Invest savings in infrastructure and alternative/renewable energies in the US.

[BrentWil]

3. Wouldn't a better question be to ask be...

What are are actual security concerns? And then start from there.

[SlimJimmy]

5. What? You mean take a reasonable approach to the military budget

instead of just cutting some arbitrary feel good number? What a novel idea. :)

[Old and In the Way]

13. From my perspective our #1 security concern is keeping this country economically viable.

Not as a vessel for assuring Big Oil's strategic profit interests. AQ is a joke, a made up enemy to assure the common interests of Big Oil and the MIC to efficiently move our wealth into their asset columns.

[Ohio Joe]

4. You are correct

A very sensible idea.

[Darkhawk32]

6. Take away the privatized services and jacked-up contracts and our entire...

security apparatus could be paid for with $200 billion.

[Rageneau]

7. Cut the Offense Budget by 75%, the Drug War Budget by 100% and the

Homeland Security Dept by 80%, and we'll be as flush as we ever were.

[BrentWil]

8. What would that actually mean?

What do you keep?

[FormerDittoHead]

11. I think a good starting point would be to see what Russia and China combined are doing...

I don't see anyone invading either one of those countries, or even threatening to.

Match what Russia plus China are doing combined, and that would cut the military by almost two thirds.

[elocs]

9. Put it this way to Republicans: either an immediate tax increase to pay for the wars or

we get out now. If the wars are that important, then they should be paid for now and not have the costs passed on to the next generation.

The main problem with that suggestion is that our president would not support it.

[MadHound]

10. Cut it in half,

End the hot wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. End the little simmering conflicts that we perpetually get into in places like Yemen, South/Central America and elsewhere. Close most of those bases in Europe, the Cold War is long dead. Close a large number of bases elsewhere. Stop outsourcing things like meals, mechanics, etc. That's why you recruit people into the military, to learn a skill. Seriously cut back on our nuclear fleet. Stop selling weapons to every Tom, Dick and Harry overseas. Seriously muzzle the CIA and its ability to start shit elsewhere in the world.

That would be a good start.

That

[Enthusiast]

12. Spending equal to

the second plus the third leading world military powers should be considered reasonable. I mean, in the event of a conflict, the U.S. would start with a military equal to the next two powers combined.

Isn't that enough? It certainly should be. That would probably reduce military spending by 70% or so.

[Xithras]

14. I'd say....

A number equal to the amount spent by the top five militaries globally (excuding the US), OR 3% of the GDP, whichever is less. Last year, according to SIPRI, we spent $698 billion on all military expenditures, which was 4.8% of our GDP.

According to SIPRI, the top five non-US militaries in the world (China, U.K., France, Russia, Japan) spent a combined $351.1 billion last year on their militaries. Reducing us to the total amount spent by our TOP FIVE largest potential opponents COMBINED would save the government $346.9 billion a year. That's nearly a 50% cut in the budget.

Also according to SIPRI, those top five potential opponents spend an average 2.42% of their GDP on the military every year. Capping ours at 3% would STILL give us the largest amount of military spending on the planet, while reducing its negative impacts on our economy.

[taught_me_patience]

15. 10% higher than the next country n/t

[yella_dawg]

16. Take away the amount they can't account for each year.

The reevaluate. Aggressively.