defence cuts won't solve america's deficit

You sometimes hear it said that if America could get to grips with its bloated defence budget, it could solve its looming debt crisis. But as this chart from Paul Krugman shows, defence spending as a proportion of total federal spending has actually been in long-term decline. Getting out of Afghanistan and injecting some prudence into the military-industrial-political complex/spending machine are certainly necessary. But they'll only address a part of a much bigger issue.

The real problem, of course, is how to find a politically palatable way to cut entitlement spending (Medicare and Medicaid etc). I would say they should ask David Cameron but it's not at all clear that he's found a way of cutting benefits and remaining electorally viable.

Link to Krugman.

Comments

[Charles]

Nobody knows how much is really spent. Till that answer is met the data above doesn't add anything.

[tory burch boots]

You sometimes hear it said that if America could get to grips with its bloated defence budget, it could solve its looming debt crisis. But as this chart from Paul Krugman shows, defence spending as a proportion of total federal spending has actually been in long-term decline. Getting out of Afghanistan and injecting some prudence into the military-industrial-political complex/spending machine are certainly necessary. But they'll only address a part of a much bigger issue.

The real problem, of course, is how to find a politically palatable way to cut entitlement spending (Medicare and Medicaid etc). I would say they should ask David Cameron but it's not at all clear that he's found a way of cutting benefits and remaining electorally viable.