But the fact is that we need cuts everywhere. Defense cuts are coming whether we like it or not. It's just bad politics for the Republicans to demand budget cuts -- just so long as our pet projects don't get cut. That will just guarantee that nothing gets cut.
We need targetted cuts on both sides of the aisle. They want to cut $50B from defense? Okay -- we want $50B cut from education. What? Is that untouchable???? How about Energy? How about NPR? Let's all share the pain.
The Defense Budget is filled with earmarks just like all the others. Those could be cut. For example, why is it necessary to have money in the Defense budget for Breast Cancer Research? Hit those items which shouldn’t be there anyway!
The military budget is 19-23% of spending, depending on what you call defense.
Medicare is 19%. Social Security is 20%.
“They want to cut $50B from defense? Okay — we want $50B cut from education.”
More like, “You want to cut 50B from Defense? OK. Also 50B from social security, 50B from Medicare, 50B from other non-discretionary spending and 50B from discretionary spending.
NOW defense would be taking an across the board cut. However, defense is more important than SS, Medicare and other department spending.