Immagine how strong this country would be with 1/10th of its current military

[ThomWV]

We could still easily defend ourselves with a total defense budget one tenth of what it is now.

Yes, I know, it would put a lot of people out of work. Out of work in the Defense Industries that is. But those jobs would be replaced as fast as they disappeared with jobs in road and then residential construction, and in education, and in transportation, and in legitimate finance and banking too. From Farmers to Real Estate Developers (the greatest divide I can imagine) the nation would begin to prosper again.

And who would invade us? The Canadians, the Mexicans? They come and go as they please now. When it comes to defense our money is better spent on meat inspectors than it is on "warriors" and an education is a far better shield than a Flak-jacket..

[Desertrose]

1. It just seems so logical to me...

and to so many others. Why isn't it happening?

Oh I forgot ...the rich hasta gets theirs...more & more of it....all the time cuz millions & billions of $$ is never enough. Silly me.

[izquierdista]

2. Then what would they do with the VA?

Oh, I know! :think: They could open the VA hospitals to providing free health care to ALL Americans.

[ThomWV]

3. Lavish it with money until the last Veteran died of natural causes

[cleanhippie]

12. Winner!

[Motown_Johnny]

4. why not just have people in the military inspect the meat? and build the bridges

and the roads etc etc etc



Close the overseas bases, bring them home and put them to work. Then when they get out they have a marketable job skill.

[ThomWV]

5. Because people in the military are slaves. Let them out first then they can do the work.

And they can profit from the work they do too. They can buy hammers and saws (capital equipment) and they can invest in education (classes preparatory to meat inspection perhaps?) and they can go to work for themselves as part of that great American institution of the small business community.

[Jkid]

8. That's a similar idea I was thinking of.

Re-purpose the military for reconstructing infrastructure or building new ones.

[bluebuzzard]

6. not going to change under this administration

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/aug/4/obama-opens-revolving-door-for-defense-nominee/

[NutmegYankee]

7. The problem is those people would not be replaced in industry.

They would be put out of work and eventually lose their homes and be financially destroyed. Their talents, such as engineering, would not be needed in the "New" economy.

[indepat]

9. But the US could not exert global hegemony with 1/10th its current military

:shrug: :patriot:

[blindpig]

10. Our Capitalists wouldn't like that at all. n/t

[kentuck]

11. The military is there to protect the wealthy.

Everybody else be damned. People can be starving in the streets but I'll be damned if they will cut one penny out of the bloated defense budget.