Voters are brainwashed into spending more on defense

President Trump wants to increase the budget for defense, saying it is necessary to bring the military up-to-date. The U.S. currently spends more on defense than the nine next largest spenders combined, including Russia and China. We spend over $1 trillion on defense every two years. If our military is not up-to-date after this unconscionable spending, it never will be.

Those who benefit from war instill fear and brainwash voters into thinking that more spending on defense brings more security. The fact that we have spent this kind of money on defense for years, and are no more secure than when we started, shows the falsity of their argument. If we fall for the idea that spending for defense is our highest priority, we can expect to hear voices advocating Social Security and Medicare cutbacks to provide more money for defense.

Spending money on the military reduces our resources where they are needed: meeting America’s basic needs and developing America’s talent.

Making America great does not mean spending more on defense. And it does not mean ramming laws through Congress by a majority party to the total opposition of the minority party. Such practices indicate that almost half of our people oppose such laws. How can a nation be great when it wastes its resources and when its house is divided against itself?

This story was originally published June 5, 2017 at 11:57 AM with the headline "Voters are brainwashed into spending more on defense."