Obama Proposes Largest Defense Budget Since World War II

[Beet]

The change we can believe in bit was a facetious, if minor, part of Obama's campaign. It was all joke. Something about Obama being above politics, bringing everyone together in a new era of kumbaya, Democrats taking over Idaho, et cetera. It was never really serious you see. Just something to lighten things up a bit, substantive debate is too boring. It was however useful in painting a contrast with Hillary Clinton, evil feminist woman trying to play politics. But if you believed it, well, that's too bad.

But that is all water under the bridge now, yes, yes.

On to the matter at hand. This article is misleading because total GDP in World War II was just a tad smaller than today. As a percentage of GDP, military spending is probably not the largest since World War II. I haven't looked it up myself, I'm too lazy, but I have just a hunch that military as a percentage of GDP today is smaller than in 1945. The difference may be minor.

[Vepres]

That's fine. He's just being more honest about it than Bush. As long as we have continued improvement in the War on Terror, I'm fine with it. Thus far, IMO, his foreign policy has been great, so I trust him here.

The fact is, even if you slashed the military significantly, entitlements are the 800 pound gorilla in the room that won't go away. Besides, to drastically cut the military in such a fashion would kill so many jobs, that in this economy it's not worth it.

[King]

Here's a surprisingly interesting clip from *gasp* Glenn Beck, about the defense budget: http://video.foxnews.com/v/4152768/defense-department-cuts

[opebo]

The fact is, even if you slashed the military significantly, entitlements are the 800 pound gorilla in the room that won't go away.

Actually no, undertaxation of the upper classes is the 800 pound gorilla in the room.  But no one will ever mention that.