Surviving Capitalism (Not) : Defense Spending Is Much Greater than You Think

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Defense Spending Is Much Greater than You Think

by Robert Higgs from The Independent Institute. The author lists many military related expenses that are hidden in other departments that are never included in "defense" spending. Thus

the grand total comes to $1,027.8 billion, which is 61.5 percent greater than the Pentagon’s outlays alone.

Hence over 1 trillions dollars is spent every year by the US ruling class using taxpayer money to enforce their interests (profits, cheap labor and materials) on people throughout the world.