Re: shuttle disaster

[Gary Turner <kk5st@sbcglobal.net>]

Paul Johnson wrote:

>On Sat, Feb 08, 2003 at 12:40:36AM -0600, DvB wrote:
>> Once again, if cutting taxes is going to put the government $300B in the
>> hole, they need to cut some programs and I don't think there're many
>> that can be justified being cut. 
>
>Considering the military accounts for over 40% of government spending,
>I think we found a place to start trimming fat heavily.  Especially if
>our politicians are going to keep claiming we're a peace-loving
>nation.  Peace-loving nations don't spend damn near half thier money
>on a military.

Uh, that's not exactly factual.  The 40% you refer must be the amount
spent on militant oldsters for Social Security (22%), Medicare (11%),
and Medicaid (7%).  The portion of the budget spent on defense is
17%.[1]  The amazing tales of the amounts supposedly being spent on the
military seem to be urban legends that just keep getting repeated.

[1]	http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/
--
gt                  kk5st@sbcglobal.net
 If someone tells you---
 "I have a sense of humor, but that's not funny." 
                                  ---they don't.