"Defense Speding" by Kim Kendall

President Eisenhower said, "Beware of the military industrial complex". Arms dealers in America and the world preach more weapons. So let’s examine in the midst of being the only world's superpower, why George Bush raised the defense budget by 50% in 4 years.

In 1991, the Soviet Union splintered. Before that, America had been locked into building weapon systems to thwart our superpower competitor: That year the US defense budget was $319 billion dollars. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union there was talk of a peace dividend. The Clinton administration over time reduced the defense budget to a low of $270 billion dollars: a 15.2% decrease.  A seemingly modest slim down yet to here republican's talk it was a gutting of our military.

Since George Bush took office, the defense budget has increased by $160 billion a year, to a whopping 456 billion annually. In the aftermath of 9/11, some say that money is needed for the war on terrorism, yet by George Bush's own statements, 80% of the al quida leadership is captured or dead.

For some perspective: What can a billion dollars buy these days? Well it will get you 2 million M16 rifles, another billion is 2 billion bullets, another billion is 4000 jdam precision bombs.

We now only have another 156 billion dollars more to spend each and every year. George Bush says we can no longer afford social security or help the needy. Only military arms suppliers who promote perpetual war on an organization equal in size and resources to a Columbian drug cartel. Would American's believe we should curtail social security and every humane program simply to add 160 billion dollars to our defense budget to make war on a drug cartel? Eisenhower was right "beware of the military industrial complex".

Kim Kendall

Canton, OH