Total defense spending in real terms is now higher than at any time since the end of World War II, more than throughout the entire Cold War, and even 10 percent higher than the peak of the Reagan defense buildup. The baseline defense budget has been growing in real terms for 13 straight yearsâ??the longest-ever period of sustained real growth in U.S. defense spending.As a result, the portion of the worldâ??s military expenditures the United States consumes compared to our potential adversaries has grown from 60 percent to 250 percent. This means that even if the United States were to cut its spending in half it would still be spending more than its current and potential adversaries. We are far beyond the point of diminishing returns in U.S. defense spending relative to our actual defense requirements. - Lawrence Korb & Laura Conley
The idea that trimming this budget represents some kind of historic betrayal of America's global defense of freedom seems just a tad far-fetched.
