Spending Much, Getting Little 0
At Asia Times, Chris Hellman considers U. S. Defense spending and concludes the US needs a 12-step program. Here’s a snippet:
All of this brings another simple, but seldom-asked question to mind: are we safer?
Regardless of what figures you choose to use, one thing is certain: we’re talking about trillions and trillions of dollars. And given the debate raging in Washington this summer about how to rein in trillion-dollar deficits and a spiraling debt, it’s surprising that no one thinks to ask just how much safety bang for its buck the US is getting from those trillions.
Of course, it’s not an easy question to answer, but there are some troubling facts out there that should give one pause. Let’s start with government accounting, which, like military music, is something of an oxymoron. Despite decades of complaints from Capitol Hill and various congressional attempts to force changes via legislation, the Department of Defense still cannot pass an audit. Believe it or not, it never has.
