Debt, fiscal irresponsibility are our biggest threat
In a time when we face huge federal budget deficits and a grossly increasing debt, how can we not be talking about serious defense cuts? We've used the war on terror as an excuse to throw money at the defense industry at unprecedented levels. In 2000 our defense budget was just over $200 billion. In 2011 it was nearly $700 billion. We spend more on defense than the next 20 highest-spending countries of the world. We spend five times more than our supposed biggest threats — China, Iran, North Korea and al-Qaida — combined.
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We're still building submarines that cost $2 billion each and fighter aircraft that cost more than $300 million per plane. The F-22 is the most advanced fighter the world has ever seen and the most expensive. But we have no one to fight with it! Even with our older aircraft we could take on all of the air forces of the world and have air superiority in two weeks.
How can we not be talking about serious cuts to defense spending? President Obama has proposed nearly nothing in significant defense cuts. Mitt Romney has proposed increased defense spending. Somehow we've managed to equate higher defense spending with patriotism. Nothing could be further from the truth! The biggest threat to this nation's security isn't China, Iran or al-Qaida. Our biggest threat is us — our debt and our fiscal irresponsibility.
Richard Westmoreland, Edmond
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