This is the way Progressive media like truthdig delude the American people.  The defense budget has risen continuously under Bush from approximately 400 billion dollars in 2000 to aproximately 700 billion now. Exclusive of cost overruns. Under the guise of Defending the US from Terrorists.  Terrorists being anyone who defends themselves from American imperialism.

The simple truth about budget increases are not told in a simple way to the American people so that we can easily understand it by the Prog media.  Indeed, as in truthdig, the precise opposite impression is given, that Obama is reducing the military budget by essentially continuing Bushite spending.  The rank and file Progs are deceived amd deluded by the Prog media in precisely the same way that the Con media deceive the Con rank and file.

Just half of this money is 350 billion dollars.  Which could be spent on necessities for the American people.  No prog media considers this or tells Americans that their taxes are largely being wasted on defending neoliberal imperialism. 

It is not the American people that are being Defended, or the Amerian Homeland, but the American corporations and power system.  And to do so the American power system bombs weddings and funerals, tortures prisoners and abducts people for lawless imprisonment, and trains death squads who murder who they wish.

This is what Obama is doning, now.  right now. And what truthdig is telling us is that he is cutting the military budget.

Gee “only” 680 BILLION.  Hmmm. Remind me what the universal health care bill is/was going to cost.
Imagine for a moment Congress was handling your home budget:  You’d spend 6 months arguing about whether to feed all ... or just 80% of your kids; but at the same time you’d “cut” out buying new furniture - and still end up with 187 new kitchen chairs.  The relative priorities of the ultra-wealthy oligarchy that runs this country amaze me.

And, yes, montanawildhick, assault is a crime, even if the law has to be stapled onto a bill outlawing tic-tac-toe in public.

Moreover, the US should get outta Dodge - from Iraq and Pakistan and Afghanistan and Turkey et al.  (YES ... the US has had a military presence in Pakistan ever since the 60’s and before.  Check out the USAF detachment in Peshawar.)

2 words not to be spoken, not even imagined: Living Peace.

So, as I recall, someone was defending this jerk .....

Boy that’s rich!!!!  A ban on hate crimes is attached to the War Budget….  That is classic ironing(sic) my friends….  So now it’s against the law for me to go out and beat the living shit out of queers and jews but it’s A-OK for me to join the military and go over to the Middle East and kill sand n*g*ers…..  I love America so much…. Never a dull moment…

I seem to recall an economist as suspect as Milton Friedman noting that money spent on defense does not return to the economy with the impact that spending in other areas does.

The best way to cut defense spending would be to end the military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan.