The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), a nonpartisan Quaker-based organization lobbies in Washington for policies consistent with historic Quaker testimonies on peace, equality, simplicity, and truth with peace and social justice, prepared this video to illustrate the size of our defense budget.
FCNL is making a case to let the defense cuts in the sequestration deal go forward in order to prioritize spending on other social needs.
Using inflation-adjusted figures, FCNL argues that proposed cuts to the Pentagon budget are far from catastrophic. Even if a trillion dollars is cut over the next decade, the defense budget will still be larger than during all but the very peak of the Vietnam War and the Cold War.
Cutting the Pentagon by $1 trillion over the next 10 years is reasonable, doable, and important if we want to invest in our communities.
The video is just under two minutes. It’s provides a reminder of how limited a range of perspectives we tend to get in the mainstream news.
It is disappointing that our local media and congress persons appear to be playing the game, “Chicken Little”. Concerning pentagon cuts. Thankfully you and Friends are a sane voice.
The Quakers’ peace testimony has always been a welcome and unwavering anchor in a world at war with itself.
Thank you, Friends.
And thanks, Ian, for posting this information.
In the January 19 issue of The Economist there is a terse graph (chart # 1) that notably compares US overseas troop deployments for FY 2009 versus those of FY 2013: http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21569719-barack-obamas-first-term-caution-was-understandable-he-must-now-show-greater-resolve-time .