There is a contrary opinion expressed in a recent New Yorker piece:

“The United States spends more on defense [a.k.a. warmongering] than all the other nations of the world combined. Between 1998 and 2011, military spending doubled, reaching more than seven hundred billion dollars a year — more, in adjusted dollars, than at any time since the Allies were fighting the Axis.”

(On The Origin of The Bully Religion - 3). Even some unreasonable people can't differ.

Nevertheless, Bill and Brad have an exquisite point and it is well taken.

I'm glad to see this post. I can't write enough about defense fraud and waste. Dredd is right...defense spending doubled between 1998 and 2011...1997 is just about the time the defense department decided to privatize. The kicker is that it was supposed to save money.

Dredd - I haven't read the full article you cite, but from the quote you offered at least, it doesn't sound like a "contrary opinion" at all!

Americans need to get away from referring to "defense" spending. In truth, very little of military expenditures, either in terms of weapons system or the location of military bases entails defending the U.S.

The bulk of both are designed to protect the interests of a U.S. based, multinational corporate global empire.

That's correct. We should be calling it Empire Spending. Or Engulf and Devour Spending.

Please. $900 Billion? That number is a fairy tale. The Black Ops budget, I'm gonna guess, is several trillion. We have lost all sense of proportion, and at this point, money in and ofof itself appears to be a violent fiction used to keep us all fearful and enslaved.

It appears that no matter how often the point is made that the Emperor has no clothes, and that the banks' vaults are exceedingly empty, we continue to roll along as if the money matters more than the systems upon which we truly depend: air, water, dirt, and the food we grow.

Ayiyiyi.

a large chunk of that money goes to defense in Japan and Korea. We could leave and let the chips fall where they may, I don't necessarily think that's a bad idea. I think even more defense money goes towards keeping the oil flowing safely out of the middle east. We need the oil, the rest of the world needs the oil, we have the means to protect it's shipment. Cancel that at our own peril, bet China would LOVE that.

We should find ways to reduce spending on defense but as a career military guy I can say for sure that the boots on the ground, on the ships, on the landing strips, on the boats, in the tanks etc. will feel the most pain from that. Maybe Obama can see to it that doesn't happen.

Plus, what China spends on defense is anybodies guess. The totals Maher speaks of are just what China "says" they spend. Developing a nuclear submarine fleet ain't cheap...

Mr Canning hit it on the head. We spend billions protecting the corporations and then they turn around and use every crooked means of not paying their fair share of taxes. If an american corporation moves their headquarters to another country to get away from paying american taxes they should be barred from doing business in the United States.

Newtome,

I agree, but of course since they're currently writing the legislation(which would be filibustered if they weren't) not too likely we'll be seeing that new law tomorrow.

They have nobody to attack. Now they turn on to their own people and try out some of their newly invented weapons. Voice to skull and physical torture.

home of the brave is partly true , USA is a melting pot of cultures mainly from Europe and it was brave from Columbus to travel westwards and hoping to find India instead he found red indians of Mexico , Atahualpa eg. even that the vikings might have been there before , there is good and bad everywhere around he world the main thing is to figure out who is what......luv u bill

And my conservative GOP co-worker, Air Guard retired, is squawking about "Obama destroying our military".... I'm so DEE-vastated. (Actually, it's just ONE of the reasons I call her "Sea Turtle", because she hides her head from unpleasant realities like sensible spending; others are her general shape, and the fact that she bought a giant turtle pool toy for her grandkids years ago....)