Thursday, October 7, 2010

Tax Recipt

A graphic of where the 3.7 trillion U.S. tax dollars will go in the 2012 U.S. federal budget from the New York Times. At least 25% goes to military related activity, that's at least 900 billion dollars a year, Wikipedia gives a figure of between 1.01 and 1.35 trillion for the 2010 U.S. military expenditure.  This link gives an idea of where some of that money is going.  Military related spending includes veterans affairs and the military retirement plan which is not included in the defense section of the budget.  Also note that the homeland security budget is not included in defense section of the budget as well as the fact that the foreign aid budget is very often sent to countries (Israel, egypt) with stipulations that they spend the foreign aid on U.S. made military equipment.  There is also the budget for the National Nuclear Security administration that manages the nations nuclear weapon stockpile that is not included in the defense section of the budget.  So the military is into the old bring it in through the back door technique, kinky.  The United States in 2009 spent at least $661 billion on the military while the total world military spending was $1531 billion, the U.S. accounts for nearly half of all world military spending.  Here are some statistics comparing other nations with the U.S.

 

NYTimes 2012 proposed federal budget graphic

 

Wikipedia on U.S. military budget 

 

 

"Now this conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every Statehouse, every office of the Federal government.... In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes.  we -- you and I, and our government -- must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering for our own ease and convenience the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow."  

Dwight D. Eisenhower's farewell address

 

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