New Poll: Most Americans, Conservatives and Liberals, Want Deep Cuts in Military Spending

It seems there is an issue both Democrats and Republicans agree on, deep cuts in military spending. In a new poll, it seems both sides of the isle wants cuts in military spending. It makes sense, after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there could be room for such cuts. But with talk of war with Iran and ongoing issues in the South China Sea, will it happen?

the-diplomat.com...

I just don't believe in polls. I think it's a way of manipulating the masses. Making the masses think, "oh, everyone else is doing it, so should we". But the whole time we never really know where these polls are coming from and especially the results. Think about it, who really participates in these polls? You? Anyone you know? Me neither. Polls are a way of getting an agenda into the minds of the people without the source having to take responsibility for it, or getting caught "making it up".

Doens't make sense considering the primary results. Are the results skewed of the poll skewed?

I truly do not believe that true Americans want a single dime cut from military spending (except to trim fraud and waste.)

Military spending is not just an offensive maneuver, it is also defensive.
We don't want to carry a knife to a gunfight.

If we spent even a quarter of the military budget on education I can pretty much guarantee we wouldn't be in the mess we are in as a country.

Originally posted by Nite_wing
I truly do not believe that true Americans want a single dime cut from military spending (except to trim fraud and waste.)

Military spending is not just an offensive maneuver, it is also defensive.
We don't want to carry a knife to a gunfight.

I'd like it cut, and I'm a true American

reply to post by benrl


Really? That is your solution for education?Throw money at it and it will go away? lol your funny lol And to think, you actually think that its a new idea or it hasnt been attempted before! lol Im crying Im laughing so hard.

I don't think now, or anytime for that matter is a good time to cut the military's budget. Especially now, with the way things are heating up all over the place. Seems like ever since Obama stepped into office this has been an ongoing thing.

Sure, education is grand and so are many other things. But our military is also extremely important. If you want to add extra funds to education, take it from somewhere else. I promise you, we spend billions of dollars on much much much worse every year. Defense budget spending is something that should not be tampered with. When a president steps into office and keeps lowering the defense budget the way Obama has and is, it reminds me of someone trying to destroy us from the inside out. Reminds me of something like the terrorists from that show Homeland (on Showtime) are trying to do. Get into government, and destroy the country with "ideas" and "change" that work against our best interests from within. Anyone familiar with that show knows what i'm talking about.

Originally posted by benrl
If we spent even a quarter of the military budget on education I can pretty much guarantee we wouldn't be in the mess we are in as a country.

I don't believe education is the first answer we need to hear. (Not flaming you)
1. We have to create a desire for education.
2. We have to change the educational environment-inner city schools are trash pits.
3. We have to change the focus on education to basic education instead of politically correct education.
a. this would mean changing curriculum to make sure people can read, write and do math.
4. We have to get rid of teachers whose primary focus is on social agendas and remove ineffective teachers.
a. This would mean dumping the teacher's unions and get it back to merit pay.
5. Then we educate those who want to learn and create a desire for those who don't.

A good start would be eliminating military chaplains. There's plenty of chaplains outside of military bases.

Yet they'll never be cut out.

I can't help but think this kind of survey really is all about how it's asked and what the survey is looking to show. If someone asks me if the United States spends too much on defense, I don't even hestitate in saying absolutely yes, we do. We have a defense budget (that we KNOW about) which matches the combined totals of the next few nations below us.

If on the other hand, someone asks if I agree with reducing the defense capability of the United States, well then I say no and a hell no to go with it. We can't make enemies of half the planet and then disarm like simple minded idiots. That's not logic, it's suicide by politics.

How about we start with things like a 400+ MILLION dollar F-22 Raptor. A plane SO insanely expensive that it's almost too much to risk in the very combat it was specifically designed for. What sense does that make?? How much are the F-16's and F-15's? I don't recall hearing those airframes losing any air battles in my memory and the rest of the world seems happy with them or equivilents.

Heck....How about we just retool for production of the tried and true? B-52's would cost how much in real terms to reproduce what is still out there? Not the billion dollar whiz bang buck rogers CRAP they would make today. Just a re-run of production to the proven air frame? That's how we cut trillions over time without cutting our own throats in the process, IMO.

reply to post by Nite_wing


Yes money would be a start to fixing it, every budget the first cut made is to education, look at every states budget, what happens when there is a short fall?

The current situation in America education is dismal, look at the literacy rates...

I love that the Anti-intellecutalism in America has gotten so bad that people laugh at the idea a proper primary education system in this country would be a good thing...

I have a group of nieces and nephews that are home schooled by their mother, its hilarious at family gatherings because they simply can't relate to the other public school educated children in the family as intellectually they are far and beyond them... (ever had an intelligent conversation about the current economy with a 5 year old?)

But I guess its far more important that the US can fire a missile from around the globe and hit a camel in the bung hole than our children be able to read...

I don't believe education is the first answer we need to hear. (Not flaming you) 1. We have to create a desire for education. 2. We have to change the educational environment-inner city schools are trash pits. 3. We have to change the focus on education to basic education instead of politically correct education. a. this would mean changing curriculum to make sure people can read, write and do math. 4. We have to get rid of teachers whose primary focus is on social agendas and remove ineffective teachers. a. This would mean dumping the teacher's unions and get it back to merit pay. 5. Then we educate those who want to learn and create a desire for those who don't.

Lets call defense spending by its real name. Military spending is, in large part, an organized criminal racket. The government's golden piggy trough. Conservative and liberal congressmen and senators are kindred spirits as far as military spending is concerned because they are the main profiteers of war. To them it is not only another government program, but also a personal piggy bank.

Our "representatives are so heavily invested in the war machine that it has become a joke. And look at where they go when their "public service" is over. Ex presidents and ex congressmen go to work for the corporations that receive the massive no bid contracts. For example, Bush SR isn't retired. He flies around in a private jet and sells war in order to profit his company. Rest assured that the door is always open for him in the appropriation committee office.

When the same man, or set of men, holds the sword and the purse, there is an end of liberty. – George Mason

Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear – kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor – with the cry of grave national emergency. Always there has been some terrible evil at home or some monstrous foreign power that was going to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it. – General Douglas MacArthur Supreme Allied Commander, Five Star General of the U.S. Army

War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes; and armies, debts, and taxes are the known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few.– James Madison