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Defense Spending as Percentage of GDP Well Below Historical Average

Posted March 28th, 2008 at 4:10pm in Protect America 3 Print This Post Print This Post

Lost in all the typical liberal hyperventilating over increased defense spending during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is just how low current defense spending compared to the last 45 years. The Heritage Foundation recently released its 2008 Federal Revenue and Spending Book of Charts and among the many gems is this graphic on National Defense Spending as a Percentage of GDP from 1962-2007:
defense-spending-and-gdp.gif

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Conn Carroll Author: Conn Carroll

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3 Responses to “Defense Spending as Percentage of GDP Well Below Historical Average”

  1. Jake McGee, Canadia on March 28th, 2008 at 4:10pm said:

    It’s not the percentage of GDP that matters. It’s the percentage of government expense relative to government income that matters.

    So, if the gov’t is solvent and only spends 1% on military – no big deal. If the gov’t is broke and spends 30% or more on the military (including VA and Dept. of Energy’s nuclear arms section, and other mil. related expenses) which is where we really are, the answer is: you’re screwed and need to wildly cut back on military expenditures, as their expense is multiplied by the interest rate on the debt sustaining it.

    In short, you’re wrong. Thanks for playing.

  2. Brian on March 28th, 2008 at 4:10pm said:

    The “leaders” of this country are exactly like the old Soviet leaders. Here, as there, the country is imploding but they refuse to face reality. So, like the SU we are headed for the dustbin of history.

  3. Brendan, California on March 28th, 2008 at 4:10pm said:

    Sure, the administration is cutting spending as a percent of GDP. Notice the conspicuous lack of the elephant in the room, The Soviet Union. There is no reason to spend a colossal stack of cash on something that no longer exists. Perhaps, the compiler of this chart should have considered an average that included spending before the Cold War, in which case we are probably still above average

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