Military Spending

Baker Spring, a F.M. Kirby Research Fellow in the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies at the Heritage Foundation, explains why the United States, in order to purchase the right military systems and fund the necessary programs for the military, needs to commit to spending at least 4% of its GDP annually on national defense.

Related Research
Providing for the Common Defense: What 10 Years of Progress Would Look Like
http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/bg2108.cfm

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Baker
• Spring
• National
• Security
• Spending
• Protect
• America

[holytemplar]

what a joke.

[CARSONQUAMMSN]

The heritage foundation is funded by conservative extremists, it is not a reliable source. It's basically is propoganda itself.

[fogwat]

@drippyhippie Good lord now who is being paranoid. There truly are two solitudes in america if you think this of your christians.

[drippyhippie]

He studied? Why so hawkish when our dollar is on the brink of destruction. "We've met the enemy, and it is us!" We spend, tax and spend way much more. This is not consersative (fiscal conservatives like alex hamilton) is is bible banging war mongering, conservative lunacy. Its propaganda from pentacostal or Bible churces who are trying to hasten the armaggedon to have their new reign of christ on earth nonsense.

[drippyhippie]

The facts show this is the case, you cant say its 4% of our economy because that rational for data is misleading. Look at the whole picture of the feds budget and consider how in debt our nation is. consider the costs of running 170 bases across the globe, occupying nations for long periods and can we afford it or not. Look at the pricetags of blackhawks, etc. CAN WE AFFORD IT or do we continue racking up debt, print more money, devalue our monetary system and have long-term inflation?

[patrickcorliss]

@Jesteria78

It's lying by the selective use of statistics. What he's talking about is percentage of GDP not total spending.

The %age is probably much higher than you suggest as it doesn't include interest which is a big component of the overall budget. Other "Empire building" expense is also excluded.

[Universa1ove]

two letters--> B.S.

[Jesteria78]

What crap is this? They should learn how to use a calculator. What an moron. But hey: let me help you, in 2009 the military spending was 794.0 billion, the total spending was 3,517.7 billion. So, 794.0/3,517.7*100 = 22.57%.

You should have paid attention to your teacher at grammar school.

(But, since you're too stupid or ignorant to calculate you won't notice that you're almost a nation that is flat broke.) Adios amigos!

[Leobons]

only 700 billion bawwwwwww

[Munic92]

50% is really to much. 5 % is ok and its enough for Afganistan, Iraq and fight against terrorism together.

[pmango1000]

@rstora01 : LOL..USA accounts for HALF of all world military spending not all combined...dumbass

[pmango1000]

@romeoneverdies: As a % of GNP, military spending continues a decline that has been going on since 1960s (when, because of the Vietnam war, defense spending was 10.7 %of GNP). That went down to 5.9 % of GNP in the 1970s &, despite a much heralded "defense buildup" in the 1980s, still declined in the 1980s (to 5.8 %) With the end of the Cold War, spending dropped sharply again in the 1990s, to 4.1 %. For the first decade of the 21st century, defense spending is expected to average 3.4 % of GNP.