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Right. But the point is that you're going to cut thousands of jobs if you cut defense spending. You could definitely take a look at the overseas budget, and likely make some headway there............... but 43% overall isn't realistic, and probably not necessarily fiscally responsible, in my opinion.

Indeed. The only reasonable way to do it right now would be to redirect defense production into some other public purpose. There are lots of choices, but just cutting support would dramatically increase an already disastrously high level of unemployment. Unfortunately, such a policy would not fit into a libertarian or deficit hawk framework.

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Underachievers, please try harder.

No. You all are laying the groundwork for a communist government with argument like this. And, overall, that government won't work. Especially if it creates so much wasteful spending that it can't cut that it is forced to create more money to cover its liabilities and devalue the dollar. It seems if that happens then everyone is kind of screwed, even those that aren't benefitting from the wasteful spending.

Maybe cutting everything tomorrow is a bad idea. Sure, but at some point the financial policies the country has adopted need to be discussed. I'll never be convinced that if we do nothign but continue to run a 1.5 trillion dollar deficit every year America will be okay.

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For someone who doesn't like strawmen you sure built a lot of em.

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What in the world are you talking about?

There has been no devaluation in the dollar and the government is doing wonderfully financing the deficits, with investors begging to give it more cash. Who is being screwed by the deficit? The actual people screwed are those who must work for a living and can't find employment or must cling to the job they have regardless of conditions. Large scale job cuts just make that situation worse.

The deficit has zero to do with communism and everything to do with the terrible economy. The best path to a balanced budget would be policies that promote full employment.

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Underachievers, please try harder.

That's not a strawman at all. I think we all agree the military budget needs to be cut. But, you all are arguing we can't do it because then those employed by the inflated military budget will be unemployed. Okay, fine. But, what makes the military budget so special? I don't agree the government should continue to give too much money to the military just because it already does.

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Nothing makes the military budget special. But job destruction right now would mean just that. If we agree that too much military spending is not a good use of resources, then that productive capacity should be directed to some less wasteful end.

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Underachievers, please try harder.

It's also worthy pointing out that this whole discussion of Johnson is not really some great break from the major parties. Deficit hysteria followed by calls for massive cuts to federal spending but no new revenue is more or less the mainstream of the Republican party these days. It is symbolized by the Romney supported Ryan plan passed by the Republican controlled House.

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Underachievers, please try harder.

I agree it should be redirected, but that's the short term answer. For how long should the federal gov. continue to borrow money to pay for the productive capacity necessary to keeping workers employed, regardless of what sector it is?

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I don't think ANYBODY said that we can't make any cuts in the military budgets. I even agreed that reducing overseas military spending would probably be a good place to start.

We're simply saying that cutting spending by 43% is not a good policy......... and if that's what this guy is saying, then I don't want any part of him.