After the Democrats win the Presidency and take a larger majority in Congress should they

[Toots]

cut Defense spending (some say by as much as half) or should they continue on with the Republican aggression and pour money into implements of death and destruction. Imagine if we had our debt paid off. That would put as much money into our coffers as the entire Defense Budget. Right now we are spending on interest alone almost as much as we are spending on Defense. If we cut back on Defense spending and used that money to pay off debt we could pretty much have all the social programs we can imagine..Defense Budget and Debt Expense are killing this nation..IMO..We already spend more on Defense than most of the rest of the world combined. It doesn't need to be that way...

[rucky]

1. Not just yes, but hell yes! n/t

[NightWatcher]

2. please dont put the cart before the horse

If the dems dont grow a spine, I fear that voter turnout will be tragically low. If the religious dont vote for Rudy and the Progressives get picky with their vote, the election might be decided by 20-30 people next year.

[hogwyld]

3. I'm with you!!

I'd like to gut the bloated military by at LEAST 2/3's, and get rid of all our overseas deployments.

[liberal N proud]

4. Let's get the right people in place first then win the election

Before we go making any plans to do all these things.

[Bitwit1234]

5. I think the US should try to rebuild it's standing in the world.

It is time we got rid of all the "war" rhetoric. I don't believe in not being prepared to defend our selves but we should try diplomacy first.

Education is one of the most important things. Even the people in this country don't know the first thing about the beliefs and the way they live of most foreign countries.

BUT I know and you know the very first thing they should do is restore FAIR NESS in the media. Until we get a media that gives the news, for both sides of the questions, and not just republican or democrats all the views, we are not going any place. We will still have rampant war monger ling. It sells the ads.

[NewJeffCT]

6. I still think it's a big "IF" on whether or not we win the presidency

We have to go up against a very hostile media, if you recall.

But, the big cut I'd make in defense spending is forbidding the use of mercenaries for military services.

Unfortunately, Team Bush has sadly neglected our military and we need to spend tens of billions just to get a lot of our equipment into working condition. Once we do that and do some modernization, we can start doing some cutting and consolidating.

[OHdem10]

7. There is a reality to be faced by whomever is President--

Our Defense (Troop Strength and Replacing Equipment used up)
has to be rebuilt and replaced. Lots of Defense Spending.

No one discusses this --- but it is gonna happen.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. Unfortunately, the American people are too afraid of bogeymen to let them.

Even if the Democrats miraculously grew a spine and dared to take on the military.

“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.” H.L. Mencken

[Bandit]

9. Not only do I think that should happen but I think Democrats should campaign on it

It seems to me this is indeed the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room..

[Sadie4629]

10. Did you know

that much more is spent annually on social programs than on the military? What if a Republic suggested cutting down on social spending in order to pay down the debt?

BOTH components of the federal budget are necessary, and both sides have to live with the reality that neither side is going to give in on what they consider important, just to pay down the debt.

Sad, but true.

[Javaman]

11. You know what they say about counting your chickens...nt