Reply #18: You'd have to look elsewhere, I'm afraid [View All]

[DireStrike]

Foreign aid really doesn't constitute much of expenditures. For some reason I'm finding it difficult to get good information, but we spend only a few tens of billions of dollars on foreign aid. Of course it could do much good elsewhere, but it can be argued that it does good where it is also. And if we discontinued all aid, it would really be just a drop in the bucket.

I agree with you that we need to increase military pay, and veterans' benefits. At the same time, we need to cut weapons development and contracting. Military spending constitutes generally about half of our budget, and we spend more than the next like, 20 nations combined. Much of it is waste. Our technological superiority is not threatened in the slightest, and it still wouldn't be if we were to cut the military budget by half, and at the same time reallocate some of the remaining funds towards personnel.

You have a small conservative streak, but are generally liberal.

Here's something from the state dept, not sure how useful it will be to you: http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/31987.pdf

Here's an image of the 2004 discretionary budget: http://mibi.deviantart.com/art/Death-and-Taxes-9410862 Of course a lot of spending is left out, but it gives an idea how much goes to foreign aid as compared to other things. There also seems to be a 2009 version somehow: http://www.wallstats.com/deathandtaxes/

EDIT: looking at it, maybe we can't cut the military budget by half and still increase pay. So a smaller cut, but still a pay increase, should be doable. I haven't really filtered in all the global war on terror spending either. The 2009 graphic has more information but is not organized very well, and you have to view it in their crappy online browser. =/