Comments for More on the Military Spending Fairy at http://www.cepr.net , comment 1 to 2 out of 2 comments http://www.cepr.net Mon, 20 May 2013 08:36:38 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/cepr-blog/more-on-the-military-spending-fairy#comment-13334 @Wm. Roach: 1. Social spending is indeed a government function. If in doubt check the Constitution - "promote the general welfare" is right next to "provide for the common defense". Strange how the military boosters always miss that. 2. Our current level of military spending is way beyond what is necessary for defense. At these levels it's not defense, but offense. We spend about as much on our military as the rest of the world combined. It is a waste of resources as well as being counter productive: with a hammer that big, the temptation is to see every foreign policy problem as a nail. i.e., we use it. And wars are a net negative for the economy. 3. The end product of military spending is not used to increase economic productivity. it doesnt build infrastructure, educate, etc. It sits and waits to blow stuff up or get blown up. And anything it does do for us can be done much cheaper in a civilian context. - Bob Johnson Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:52:20 +0100 http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/cepr-blog/more-on-the-military-spending-fairy#comment-13327 The big difference here is National Security and the defense of the Nation. A primary function and mandate of the Federal Government. Social spending should be way down on the list {:-)' - Wm. Roach Tue, 06 Dec 2011 06:03:32 +0100