Terrorism Risk Doesn't Justify Ever More Military Spending

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Christopher A. Preble and Benjamin Friedman reflect on U.S. foreign policy since September 11, 2001. Is the threat of terrorism a sufficient reason for the U.S. government to spend more on defense than ever before, or have we only ended up terrorizing ourselves?

Christopher A. Preble is the Vice President for Defense and Foreign Policy Studies and Benjamin H. Friedman is a Research Fellow in Defense and Homeland Security Studies at the Cato Institute.

Video produced by Evan Banks.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• foreign policy
• afghanistan
• iraq
• libya
• cold war
• military
• military spending
• defense
• defense spending
• 9/11
• september 11
• september 11 attacks
• ten years later
• libertarian
• libertarianism
• cato
• cato institute
• catoinstitutevideo
• christopher preble
• benjamin friedman

[richardcadbury]

We don't need more govt spending - what we do need is to remove govts that sponsor terrorism, and then immediately leave.

This nation building crap is breaking the bank, never mind killing thousands of troops who don't need to die.

[AngrySkeptic]

@BITARTEN2

You are insane. Get help.

[jonescomplete]

@TheTomtah nah.. it was the government. But fear helped :D

[Riclists]

Obama is trying to use Bush's Iraq tactics in Afghanistan and hoping for the same success, which won't work. The two countries are very different in most every way. Obama is a fool, and an arrogant one at that.

[TheTomtah]

@de0den So the US is justified in bankrupting themselves because 3000 died because of terrorism a decade ago ?

[TheTomtah]

Fear after 9/11 bankrupted america.

[Oneworldreligov]

You see!!!?? We are our own problem. Just like an individual who's only opponent is themselves.

[ginjaninja1988]

@Timasion Howard his father

[dragknuckle]

@dragknuckle I meant deficit..

[dragknuckle]

Defense spending makes up a smaller percentage of the budget today than it did under Jimmy Carter. If you completley shut the military down tomorrow the debt would still be about half a trillion dollars.

[Timasion]

I would point out one problem with the theory propounded here. History has shown us that peace is always achieved when one nation can enforce the peace. Reliance on alliances or treaties have lead to conflicts. Our periods of peace have always been enforced by one nation whether it's Rome, Britain or the United States. So, the idea that "we take care of ours and you take care of yours" will likely lead to more conflicts, not less. The one thing different today is that the US isn't getting paid.