Pick one to “gut”:
Social Security
Medicare/Medicaid
Military
Nothing else comes close to the financial expense of the above.
What do you want a bet NPR and National Funding for the Arts survives this with no cuts at all - when they should be the first to go.
The easiest way to reduce our military budget is to reduce our military commitments. For every commitment comes with a price tag.
Iraq costs money.
Afganistan costs money.
Libya costs money.
NATO costs money.
Bases in Europe and Japan cost money.
Korea costs money.
You can’t simply say ‘cut spend’ in the military unless you are willing to let military actually costthose things that COST MONEY.
For military, withdraw from the Libyan war, withdraw troops from Western Europe. The navy I think should be reduced -- wait, before you flame me, let me give my reasons -- the US Navy right now can take on ALL of the rest of the world's navies and defeat them easily -- we have more aircraft carriers, subs etc. than the next 10 or more navies and all are more advanced.
We can reduce this to be able to obliterate the Chinese twice or thrice over and still save a lot of money (the Chinese navy right now could be licked by India's or Japan's -- just the navy mind you, while the Russian navy is rusting away to pieces)
The air-force, Marines and Army budget can't be cut, they are too important.