U.S. Defense vs. the Homeland

The $372 billion U.S. defense budget for FY 2003 marks the first time the United States will spent more than $1 billion a day on defense.

(The Globalist)

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched is a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, from those who are cold and are not clothed.”

(U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, April 1953)

“I believe that [of the number of the $300 billion spent on defense] the number of $100 billion of gross inefficiency is adequately stated.”

(Retired U.S. Navy Admiral William Owens, on how much the U.S. defense budget could be cut, September 12, 2001)

The FY 2003 U.S. defense budget allocates $94 billion on personnel — an increase of 30.5% to the 1987 budget. However, $140 billion will be spent on operation and maintenance — an increase of 45.7% on the 1987 budget.

(U.S. Department of Defense)

The 2002 U.S. defense budget stands at $332 billion. This compares to the $492 billion budgeted for Social Security budget in 2002.

(The Globalist)

If the current growth rate of 13.7% in FY 2003 were to continue, the U.S. defense spending would be larger than the Social Security budget by 2007.

(The Globalist)

At present, there are at least 37 million uninsured people. President Bush has raised defense spending by $71 billion for FY 2002 and 2003. By comparison, at $2,000 a person it would cost $77 billion to buy health insurance for all uninsured citizens.

(The Globalist)

A boost of $48 billion in defense spending proposed by President Bush for FY 2003 would be the largest one-year increase since the Reagan Administration.

(Washington Post)

George W. Bush’s defense spending proposal for FY 2003 represents 3.5% of U.S. GDP. While that is the highest level since 1996, it would still be lower than the share of GDP devoted to defense spending in any year from 1941 through 1996.

(Washington Post)

As of 2002, 70% of the U.S. defense budget is spent on overhead and infrastructure. Only 30% directly reaches combat forces in the field.

(New York Times)

As of 2002, $2 billion of the Pentagon’s $7 billion travel budget is spent on administrative overhead.

(New York Times)

Amtrak, the national railway carrier, has received $25 billion in subsidies over the past 30 years. That amounts to an average of $800 million a year. That is just 0.2% of the $335 billion defense budget for FY 2003.

(The Globalist)

February 26, 2002