More Than 53 Percent of Your Tax Bill Goes to the Military

Thank you for that expert summation. I don't imagine it can be stopped any more than criss-crossing and doping human brain cells with animal, or vice versa, nor any other wonderful endeavors currently being done in American's names... in the name of freedom, of course. Under the auspices of Homeland Security too!

Well said...........

those people tend to be christian republicans, so given the myths and superstitions these morons believe, of course it doesn't make any sense.

How can these people be pro-war and pro-death penalty
and call them selfs pro-life.

Troll much?

You aren't even British :P.

poser!!..hahahha

And I expect your view will prevail. But this constant yakking about how SAFE we are is a crock of cow pies for supper. The borders are open, the overseas plane traffic is wide open, our zipper stays down and we are not safe. Any safety that has been ours is by the Grace of God not wanting something to happen that would interfere with His Plan, not our military all by itself.

Just look at the level of mistakes they make. They're an expensive Keystone Cops operation and they're sloppy. They're having to resort to waterboarding and anything else they can get by with because they aren't the professionals they claim to be.

Professionals wouldn't have allowed a plane to fly a broadside into the side of their Pentagon. Now how in the name can we feel safe when they take one that size right up their noses?

I'm sorry fellas but I haven't seen all this SAFETY you say exists. I put my safety in God's Hands and it does make me feel safe. Sometimes that might mean I take one too but I know it has to be for a greater reason and I'm covered by the resurrection hope clearly laid out in the Bible.

Does our Federal Gov't or military have a resurrection hope?

I've been hit with 4 sudden cancer attacks since 2006, three of them in the last year and the last one was last March 29. I grit my teeth and bear it, knowing if I have no more usefulness here I'll be useful somewhere else. I don't get none of this great American d*mn doctor care either. That's another lie we get fed every day.

I face em down.

You haven't read line 14 in the healthcare bill that reads...resurrection will come when, hahahaha. Of course the govt doesn't have a resurrection plan. Well, Nancy Reagan did commune with psychics, so I can't speak for everyone.

We are as safe as our taxes allow us to be. We cannot be completely safe with our porous borders and freedom to do as we wish in this country. Otherwise, Timothy McVeigh (right wing nut case) wouldn't have blown up a federal building.

They did the water boarding with complete professionalism. Cheney stated it was a law, secretly, and then later came out and said it was legal. The CIA and military never did it unprofessionally though, haha. If there is such a thing as professional watertorture. I would go into some things about it but it would really bother you.

Keystone cops at times, but still the best military in the world.

Very well said, in my opinion. Hope the young people of this country realize the war drums are now beating to attack Iran. This is craziness what are they thinking…………!!!!!Get out there and run for office do something, e-mail your reps in congress, phone do something…………..

After billions spent on the Homeland Security Dept, CIA, FBI it should make the American people angry that we are always reactionary to threats such as the Christmas bomber. Should we not expect more than taking our shoes off and throwing our water bottles out? Bureaucracy at its worst…

Your situation is one reason many people oppose this so called “health reform.” Those who have illness in their families know this is not really any reform at all. Once again it will be the haves and have nots…….We were sold out again. The insurance and drug companies are the winners as you can tell (over 60 weeks of stock gains) they’re happy 30 million new pigeons…..

And you feel better that the torture is now being farmed out to third world countries under this administration??? The difference is…………..??????

No offense but some of the statements you are presenting are just not factually correct.

We were once friends with Osama Bin Laden and put him in power to fight Russia in the hills of Afghanistan. We were once friends with Saddam Hussein, Adolph Hitler, and many more leaders that we later demonize. We then publicize that these leaders are mentally unstable.

We have 5 years before Iran has the ability to supposedly make a nuclear weapon. I wonder if anyone would ever consider invading a country based on Iran having weapons of mass destruction?

I suppose you have heard other facts from I don't know...possibly Fox News? hahaha

We are not torturing like we were allowing under the Cheney/Bush administration. Things have changed, and it is for the better.

Yes, people who give two shits about other people don't mind "2 Trillion" to give sick people care they can't afford. They also "complain" when the over-inflated military bloats up to 780 billion dollars on the taxpayer's dime and isn't doing a damn thing to keep us safe fighting the new Vietnam war.

How about you get your partisan head out of the usual place.

We'll have to "bleed" money from defense???? The fact is my friend is that the defense budget bleeds money everything else. Did you even read the article?? 53% of all federal funding goes to the defense budget. For every dollar you pay in taxes 53 cents goes to the military. You get all crazy about Obama wanting to provide health care to US citizens for about a trillion dollars over a ten year period but think it's fine for the US military to spend 10 times that amount over the same time frame????

We spend more on "defense" yearly than the rest of the world COMBINED. China the next biggest spender only spends 100 billion a year. Do you know why? Because the Chinese are fighting another war that people like you don't even know is going on i.e. an economic war. Think about it. The US military runs on money that is provided by taxes. Those taxes come from you and me who are able to pay them because we have jobs. No jobs, no taxes. No taxes no money for the military. No military and we're in trouble.

Stay with me here. What has happened to millions of blue and white collar jobs?? They've been OUTSOURCED to countries like China, India and Mexico by those big corporations so beloved by the GOP. Every job sent over seas by a US corporation equals lost tax dollars. Lost tax dollars means there is less money for everything INCLUDING the military. Do you understand now? Our largest military rival, China is at economic war with us and is beating us without firing one single bullet. That's how they get away with spending only 100 billion on defense compared to our 1 trillion. They pour their money into their economy, while we piss money away on expensive military toys so generals can get hard- ons.

A military that is hobbled at the legs having to wait for a non-military man to make a decision is a worthless military in today's world. It might've worked in 1950. I personally don't feel any safer as you do inside your mind, because what exists now is a time lag.

That's why jets scrambled to stop planes don't do it. They all suffer from a crippling time lag. This military looks impressive, has impressive weapons, but being hobbled with an obvious time lag puts the US at constant risk.

The safety you say we have is an illusion. You need to honest up here man. Look how slow the bureaucracy restored safety to Katrina victims huddled in their own feces begging for drinking water. Look at how long they took to reach Haitians. What we see in evidence is a crippled down behemoth that approaches uselessness in times of crises.

And then to beat all they flew atomic warheads a thousand miles in our airspace and didn't even know where they were. Your argument of our safety is on your plate not mine.

What good is a military that protects Americans from everything but their own government? Ah, the Achilles heel is exposed. The military is a headless horse that runs wherever it's told, except back to DC to recover its head. So then what is reality comes to light => the military works for DC not for the People.

The assumption being that DC and the People are synonymous. If polls are anywhere near the truth that doesn't hold water. All DC ever really has is a 51% mandate, enough to get elected. And then what usually happens immediately after GETTING elected is they go haywire and violate 3/4 of the PROMISES they made to get elected.

The military should be a 4th separate branch of government, not so easily a controllable lackey service. Having a civilian president who has NEVER seen military service is a standing joke and represents the weak link in the chain.

complete bullshit. keep parroting back the right wing foxnews talking points. ever try coming up with a thought of your own?

47% don't pay Federal Income tax. Everyone pays taxes. Every single person who lives in this country pays taxes. There is NO way to avoid it. Pull your head out of your ass.

Stop your bitching about 47% of americans not paying INCOME taxes. That just means that 47% of Americans are too poor, too old, or get enough rebates to cover what they would have paid in taxes.

You bItch about having to pay taxes, then you b!tch about not having to pay taxes. Just STFU and quit your whining.

statistics...read them sometime. almost half of this country "pays" income tax and then has it returned at the end of the year, which is the same as not paying it at all.

the money is refunded at the end of the year. how is that a tax? they get to borrow your money throughout the year then give it back and then some. so for almost half of the country, your "tax" dollars go straight back to you.

and no, there are millions of illegals in this country who DON'T pay taxes yet get government benefits that citizens can't get. pull your head out of your ass.

the point is, most of your money is going back to you, not the military. and i haven't bitched about paying fed income tax, because i get 95% of mine back every year. the system is flawed and you obviously have no clue what you're talking about.

try living in washington state, sure we don't have a state income tax, we have sales tax instead that rapes us more than anywhere else. you wanna talk taxes, fine, let's get into it and i'll show you how fucked up the system is and if you're too damn blind to see it then i'm sorry it's not my fault.

Yawn...income tax is only one form of taxation. And payroll tax is NOT refunded at the end of the year. And while illegals who are working illegally don't pay income tax, that doesn't mean they don't pay any taxes. Boy, those people sure are lucky. Of course you're free to quit your legal job and pick oranges illegally for next to nothing too. Then you won't have to pay that oppressive income tax either. Let me know how that works out for you. Of course you'll still be paying sales tax on the things you buy, just like every illegal immigrant. See what I mean when I say EVERYBODY pays taxes.

Let me know when you get your head dislodged.

through all of the deductions and credits nearly half of this country, at the end of the year, ends up paying no taxes...

nice stereotype on the orange pickers there bud.

i get my fed income taxes back, what i don't get is the insane amount of state sales taxes i pay in washington.

fyi not everyone pays state income or state sales tax (which are a crock)

"through all of the deductions and credits nearly half of this country, at the end of the year, ends up paying no taxes..."

That is just factually incorrect. Nearly half pay no FEDERAL INCOME tax. Do you even know what payroll tax is? Again...head in ass.

And yes there are a five states that don't have sales tax, but three of them have local taxes which amount to the same thing. And all three of those have state income tax.

But you are right, picking fruit was a crude and stereotypical analogy. I regret that choice of words. My point however stands...before you start looking enviously at luxurious lifestyle of the illegal immigrant in this country, you should again...pull your head out of your ass.

Oh and by the way...if you're getting all of your Federal Income taxes (that were withheld) refunded, then you are one of the people who you are bitching about. See what I'm saying about your head?

Envy? Surely you jest!

Why do you think so many people risk life and limb to get to this country. This is the land of good and plenty. You can be anything you want in this country! It's all here.
Just check out the Asian or Europeans that come here. My daughters fiancés family were poor Chinese. They came here and the whole family worked tirelessly in the family owned business. They became college educated here and are well educated despite the language difference. His father and grandparents came here and did it, and are now very rich. Their work ethic worked here, very well indeed. They asked for nothing and worked very hard to earn the 'American dream'.
The Mexicans are pouring over the border to live here. Our church never had to look for families wanting to come to this country. There were always a very competitive waiting list of people desperate to come to live here.
The people we consider poor in this country are rich compared to so many others. Anyone that travels abroad avoiding the tourist area's will know this. Or try a stint in the Peace Corps or volunteer to go to assist others in another country. People are considered poor in this country even though they have cell phones, Tv's, cable, indoor plumbing with running hot and cold water, electricity, heat, screens on their windows, AC, I could go on and on....How about cars....

Imperialism is not defense. The issue isn't spending money on the military, it's the ludicrous OVER-spending. Over being a huge understatment. We've spent hundreds of millions on planes that our army even admits "we don't need." America is safe enough. Our overseas influence is making other countries unsafe. We're not wanted. Not our government, our policies, our ideas, or our culture.

With all of your talk of safety, I wish you were an adviser to Don Blankenship.

As far as the military is concerned though, I think we have done overkill on the "protection". We are now "protecting" other nations with our tax dollars. Here is the military's version of "protection of the innocent". They were told to just shoot.

http://current.com/news/92369010_iraq-war-vet-we-were-told-to-just-shoot-people-...

Uh... Don't you want to at least question this at all? Maybe see HOW this money is being spent on defense? Or, as long as its under the title of "defense" its ok?

Truman Committee anyone?

Imperialism is not defense

Well said.

I think your last sentence is a bit over-broad tho. You make it sound like NO ONE wants anything to do with us. We've made ourselves some enemies, it's true. But, we've still got some friends out there & we'd have more if we'd have more if we'd chill out about imposing our elite's will on other countries.

The US military is under the will of the elite? What a sad thought.

No, we don't need to equal every other military COMBINED. In fact, the more we build up our military and use it, the more other countries build to fight us. We need to put the gun down and see we're not as threatened as our government wants us to be.

But when we impoverish ourselves and force them to impoverish themselves then we have achieved peace. Just get people more jobs and they'll be happy, so then you have happy + peace. Just so long as it's always "over there, over there" pulling triggers everything's copacetic.

And if it starts looking like one long stretched-out Vietnam well, you're wrong. If people start thinking it's all being done to keep people from seeing what they're really doing, you might find yourself munching on truth cake.

They have known how to obtain universal energy from the cosmos since 1987. Every day we live now is one big staged lie. Do yourself a favor and don't try to make sense of it. They're trying to force the Rapture so that when it never happens they can burn every Bible and religious book in the world.

Their great Mission is to show Jesus a no-show. So the starving of children has to continue.

This is all about the “military industrial corporation” and that’s not a typo……………

ah, yes truly brilliant insightful commentary on military spending and public taxes!

AMEN, cut our military spending in HALF! We can destroy the world 8 times over with our current nuclear arsenal. The only country we might have difficulty completely taking over is Russia. Why would we need too?

Unless, we are using the military as a tool for economic growth for the industrial military complex? As well as what do we do if we suddenly kick out hundreds of thousands of Soldiers, how does that affect our economy?

We need to let NATO do its job and the U.S. needs to stop acting as the worlds police and depend more on a multi-national force to assist economically and militarily.

Let's take this a bit further: The US currently has approx. 1.8 million military personnel, including active duty and reservists. China, by contrast, has approx. 3 million military personnel, again, including active duty and reserves. Yet China spends only about $59BB annually on defense.

How can we explain this relationship? It is possible that we are reckless in our spending, perhaps. Indeed, we may benefit from decreasing our spending. But let's look closer: what else can account for the discrepancy in spending as it relates to military size? The answer is technology.

Ever wonder why, historically, so few Americans are killed in global conflicts in comparison to our opponents? We have the newest, fastest, hardest hitting warfare technologies. It is our high military budget we have to thank for the relatively few caskets draped in American flags being shipped back from all over the globe.

I lament the death of every American serviceman. If I have to pay a little bit more to keep them safer and at an advantage when they're doing the job that they must do, I will happily do so, for the remainder of my days.

While we should lament the deaths of every serviceman and women, I think we should also remember that they laid their lives on the line for the protection of the freedoms granted in this country.

That said, the technological advances since the last major war(Vietnam) and the last modern war(Persian Gulf) more than likely came from advancements of civilization as a whole more than military technology alone. Many of the innovative military tools now come from private sectors and corporate businesses versed in arms development. Which means American taxpayer dollars are not funding the military as much as it is gun manufacturers. Unfortunately, this money is being misappropriated at the cost of American lives, as the Kevlar armor infantry members wear is less than the best and possibly unsuited for dealing with the threats in the middle east (IED, Car Bombs, Shrapnel and Puncture wounds, etc). During the Bush administration, both Humvees and Tanks were found to be "under-reinforced" against IED's only having the lightest grade armor-plating available.

So really, where is all this money going if not to protect our servicemen and women? I'm sure some of it is paying Blackwater mercs, because they're under a defense contract right now. In addition, the military makes money off selling older technology to other countries. I believe that even if we cut the defense budget in half (390 billion dollars) that it would still be more than adequate at not only paying out men and women a living wage but developing new technologies to keep the country safe. This is, of course, if the money is properly used.

Even 25 to 30% of the military budget would be an adequate amount of money to fund schools, create new jobs, and begin to rebuild our country's economy.

I think you are partly correct. We have taken fewer losses because of technological innovation which is good. However, in another sense, this innovation is a threat to our security. In a major war of attrition, like WW II, there is no way America or the military could afford the luxury of all the toys they have now. The cost of a single stealth bomber exceeds 2 billion dollars. The new proposed F-25(?) fighter is already a staggering 133 million a copy and they aren't even finished testing it yet. The loss of a single aircraft carrier would be tens of billions of dollars (and 5,000 lives) and the time it would take to build another would be an enormous obstacle in replacing it. Additionally, even if we could afford to replace everything, US corporations have shipped our manufacturing base overseas, so unlike WW II there is no way we could rapidly replace material losses.

Conversely, a high tech military is no so good for a small conflict like Iraq and Afghanistan for the same reason i.e. cost. The cost of maintaining troops in a combat zone to counter a relatively small number of insurgents doesn't pass a cost benefit analysis test. Britain found this out in the Revolutionary War when they almost went broke fighting a relatively small Continental American Army. All the Americans had to do was to keep fighting (it wasn't even necessary to win) to tie up thousands of British troops and vast sums of British coin. The modern day military equivalent (though not political) would be our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are spending billions weekly to fight what amounts to a rag tag army of insurgents. All they have to do is keep fighting, to create a huge strain on our budget, winning is secondary.

The best thing our current military is suited for is a sharp, short conflict that can be resolved in a month or two. That's a pretty narrow window to justify spending over 700 billion a year on defense.

Also, what is the justification for spending so much? We spend more than the rest of the world COMBINED, and China (the next biggest spender), gets by on just 100 billion a year? The answer is simple, they have no need or desire to police the world. Besides, we are doing it for them. They have correctly determined that the way to "beat" America is not on the battlefield, but in the markets, and have devoted the vast majority of their resources to doing just that. The transfer of millions of our blue collar jobs and an increasing number of white collar jobs attests to the effectiveness of their strategy in crippling Americas economy. Also if you cripple a countries economy you cripple their military.

Americas military has made one of the most common military errors witnessed throughout history, i.e. using the strategy of the last war, to fight the next war.

We could “out- gun and out –nuke any other country” is dependent on if China and Japan continue to loan us money. You can not be a military super power if you are not an economic super power.

I whole-heartedly agree. However, I think it would be bad if our Government or Military officials sold the launch codes.

I think we both agree that America needs to work on it's economy and not it's military.

Well said , sir !

We have to keep the crazy taxes we pay to pay off our debt. Unfortunately, we are not paying off the debt right now.

the ones voted against it, are the reason we are in this mess. And you're right change is bad. I wish they never changed anything. I mean slavery, we could use that about now.

No, I am very proud of our president. I support what he is doing, because he is bringing about positive changes. He has stopped the economy from devolving into a great depression. We need to spend money in order to get out of the mess that Bush left us in.

Cutting taxes, increasing spending at a reckless pace, and increasing the size of the Fed Govt are what Bush did best. As well as reading a children's book during 9/11 and sitting there looking inept and confused.

Nope.
Because Obama is doing a pretty damn good job.
And McCain and Palin would have flushed this country down the crapper.
We are feeling pretty damn good right now, thanks for asking.

I'll second that. He's not perfect...but Obama is damn sight better than where we'd be if McCain/Plain had won.

the citizens have to do a little more than vote, to make a change.

I am not sure what you wanted if the republicans were elected (McCain and Palin). Do you think that continuing on the current path in Iraq for 100 years as McCain intended would make for a proper path? Do you think if we continued to cut taxes that it would be prudent? Cutting regulatory oversight even further would make for a better U.S.?

The republicans have been fighting Obama at every turn, yet offer no alternatives. Other than do nothing and just say NO. NO NO NO NO, sounds like a spoiled first grader not getting his way. I want to hear some alternatives that are plausible.

Not another Sarah Palin analogy about getting your nose bloodied in a schoolyard because we are reducing our land based nuclear weapons. Full and well knowing that we have enough nuclear weapons on our sea based subs that can destroy the world twice!!

Obama is CHANGE that I can believe in. Change away from Bush is enough for me. Those were the worst 8 years that America has had to endure.

what is sad is that people voted for obama to change this and what is more pathetic are morons who are still cannot accept the fact that obama is shoving his liberal size 11s up your asses..

YOU had been fooled..and you look pretty stupid whining about "right wingers" and "abortions"

The people with the weapons make the rules, mate. If you're just learning this now, you're the fool. That's been true since... fucking forever. Don't be a tart.

naw pretty sure you are the idiot in this man. Cause the people you voted for did this.

Size 11 wide, hahaha. The right wingers better get used to feeling it too, hahahha.

Obama runs on a platform, not everything will be able to make it through the congress and senate. There was a portion of the healthcare bill that dealt with abortion, and it was removed in order to get people to buy in to the bill. Some changes and concessions had to be made. So what is wrong with that?

So it was the military? So many theories....I recently heard that it was the Mafia that shot JFK.

Except, of course, for the fact that your hyperbole has nothing to do with reality.

You see, we LIKE these changes. We voted for them, and we are getting them.
Nothing is being shoved up our asses- we are applauding him shoving it up YOURS.

All I took away from that was "Wow his feet are the same size as mine."

Good to know in case I end up randomly hanging out with him and we end up at a shoe store.

"What size are you gentlemen?"
*Both of us look at one another*
"Size 11!"
*Slow motion high five*

What is sad is that people like you never really understand what's going on. First off the largest increase in the defense budget came during W's Administration. Second, unlike the Bush Adminstration, the Obama Administration defense budget INCLUDES the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which automatically tacks on a couple of hundred billion a year. If you factor in the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Bush increased the defense budget by roughly 500 billion dollars. I assume you got all over his case for that?

My guess is that by representing the true cost of the American military, Obama is betting people will start demanding cuts there rather than in areas like social services and education. Think I'm wrong? Then how come the Bushies hid the true cost of the defense budget from the American people from 2003 through 2009?

Excellent point Mark.