GA and I were discussing the protests from this last weekend that were considered to be huge by London standards. We were wondering why there was no austerity plan in the US. How is it that Lefties in Europe are so far ahead of us on this matter and Congress is just now getting around to tinkering with it? Why the endless mantra about stimulating our way out of it, when the Europeans are embracing austerity as the solution? Why isn't the EU beside itself with rage that the US is doing so little about its deficits?
The answer that stood out was the military. The US is annually subsidizing the security of Europe and Japan with 100s of billions in military spending directed at those regions. If our allies had to pay for that security or provide it themselves then their deficits would be substantially larger.
Therefore one could conclude that our allies aren't interested in demanding that we go on a diet, because we greatly subsidize their economies with our military spending. The current US budget cut debate isn't even considering the military.
The truth is if through severe austerity measures you made the American public feel the costs of military spending and gutted their social benefits while raising taxes to balance the budget, there's no way in hell the military budget would be left untouched as it has been.
I think our allies know if Americans had to feel the cost of the largess of the military, it would get packed up and sent home.
The answer that stood out was the military. The US is annually subsidizing the security of Europe and Japan with 100s of billions in military spending directed at those regions. If our allies had to pay for that security or provide it themselves then their deficits would be substantially larger.
Therefore one could conclude that our allies aren't interested in demanding that we go on a diet, because we greatly subsidize their economies with our military spending. The current US budget cut debate isn't even considering the military.
The truth is if through severe austerity measures you made the American public feel the costs of military spending and gutted their social benefits while raising taxes to balance the budget, there's no way in hell the military budget would be left untouched as it has been.
I think our allies know if Americans had to feel the cost of the largess of the military, it would get packed up and sent home.