Millitary Spending?

[BlueStreak]

With all of this talk about cutting spending and eliminating waste, my mind goes to one of the biggest expenses our government bears---Millitary Spending.

As I understand it, this years budget as approved by President Obama includes $708,000,000,000* in millitary spending. Now, having been on the Navy, I tend to favor a strong military.

But I am beginning to wonder;

Do we really need to continue being the worlds police force?

Is it really necessary for us to maintain far flung bases around the world, or should we go back to defending our shores/borders and nothing more?

Where does it end? Do we keep this up until it breaks us, a la the USSR?

Where should this stand in our priorities? We have many other internal problems. Should we cut military spending to pay for other things?

As time passes, our ability to manufacture declines and so many of our problems go uncorrected, I can see us eventually forced to face this decision; Do we cut the millitary to pay down other debts, or do we cut other spending to maintain the millitary?

Regards,
Dave


* Bear in mind, this is for a single year, whereas the trillion dollar figures you've heard for healthcare, supposedly would be spread over a ten year period.