Cut US Military Spending By One-Third Without Sacrificing Security
John Cavanagh, Anita Dancs, and Miriam Pemberton at the Institute for Foreign Policy and the National Priorities Project argue that US security would not suffer if one third of the Pentagon’s $650 billion-budget were cut in 2008. Most of the savings would come from ending the US involvement in Iraq, closing several overseas bases, and dismantling of redundant and economically inefficient weapons systems. The authors suggest a shift of the financial resources to Homeland Security programs and non-military spending such as development aid, nonproliferation, and closer collaboration with international organizations. These measures should lead towards a higher level of overall security than the current U.S. security strategy.
