Military Spending
In today's society, military spending is on the minds of American citizens more than ever. With the constant threat of terrorism and imminent war on the horizon, the United States government is spending billions of dollars on drastic measures to fight a large-scale war as well as to continue to combat terrorism. Critics against increased military spending argue that the funds set aside for such defense measures could be better utilized in other areas that directly affect Americans, including education, healthcare, and economic stimulus packages. However, supporters of increased military defense spending argue that such expenses are critical for the United States to reassure Americans in their fears concerning terrorism and other threats against the homeland. Furthermore, the continued threats from Iraq have triggered strong concern for American safety in areas all over the world, and the only possible solution is to engage in warfare with Iraq and its allies in dramatic fashion with a loaded arsenal of weapons and well-trained soldiers. Each of these measures is quite costly, but more importantly, their benefits outweigh the costs because they provide Americans with a sense of pride, liberty, and security in a world occupied by sheer chaos. Furthermore, increased military spending performs a twofold process as it contributes to the economic growth of some industries through increased defense contracts to firms that make weapons, machinery, technology, and other military requirements. The following discussion will demonstrate the importance of three significant issues in relation to military defense spending: efficiency, equality, and liberty.
Efficiency in Increased Military Spending
The importance of efficiency in military spending is essential to the welfare of all Americans. U.S. human and financial interests span the globe, and as a result, they must be protected as best as possible, but also as economically as possible. It is widely known that the volatility of many smaller governments and their citizens plays a significant role in the amount of military action that takes place at any given time. Furthermore, the United States has always played the role of dominant leader, particularly over allied countries in the United Nations, in the development of comprehensive military technology and weapons. Currently, the U.S. is faced with a delicate situation in regards to homeland security. In response to existing feelings of apprehension and continuous threats against U.S. soil, a new department of homeland security was established. Now it is up to U.S. lawmakers and the President to maximize its potential while maintaining a cost-effective budget. The FY 2003 military budget was almost $400 billion, an increase of $48 billion over FY 2002, with the majority of those funds ($29 billion) allocated for pay raises for troops, excessive health benefits for retirees, and the purchase of outdated or unneeded weapons (Isenberg & Eland 10). The remaining increase of $19 billion was specifically designated for war activities and other areas related to global unrest. Since military spending is likely to continue to rise in the same fashion as tensions increase in the Middle East, U.S. lawmakers must spend those funds wisely, perhaps earmarking more funds for war activities and eliminate allocations to wasteful activities such as pay raises and excess benefit packages for retirees. Increased military spending is absolutely necessary in today's tumultuous society, but it must be demonstrated that lawmakers can utilize their resources wisely on the issues most concerning Americans.
Equality in Increased Military Spending
The United States government is gaining support in its efforts to increase military spending to combat terrorism and other global issues, including a likely war with Iraq. Both male and female residents are demonstrating their support for war initiatives, including missile defense, homeland security, and bioterrorism measures. In the past year, public support for a missile defense system increased from 56% to 64% (Society 2). Furthermore, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has responded to public opinion and enemy surveillance by establishing a plan to transform the military to become better equipped for today's ever-changing society (Economist 8). Many critics of increased military spending do not possess the knowledge of the requirements to fight a large-scale battle. The weapons and equipment that operate successfully in one battle may not work for another (Easterbrook 3). Therefore, it is critical that spending is carefully planned in order to provide U.S. forces with an equal chance to conquer the enemy.
U.S. military spending is designed to develop the best possible strategies for the protection and comfort of all citizens. Although the policy...
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