Defense Spending Is America’s Cancerous Bipartisan Consensus
By Opinion
Published 5 years ago on
July 22, 2019
Share
[aggregation-styles]
The Washington Post Subscription
The Washington Post Subscription
You often hear that in these polarized times, Republicans and Democrats are deadlocked on almost everything. But the real scandal is what both sides agree on. The best example of this might be the defense budget. Last week, the Democratic House, which Republicans say is filled with radicals, voted to appropriate $733 billion for 2020 defense spending.
The Republicans are outraged because they — along with President Trump — want that number to be $750 billion. In other words, on the largest item of discretionary spending in the federal budget, accounting for more than half of the total, Democrats and Republicans are divided by 2.3 percent. That is the cancerous consensus in Washington today.
The United States’ defense budget is out of control, lacking strategic coherence, utterly mismanaged, ruinously wasteful and yet eternally expanding.
The Republicans are outraged because they — along with President Trump — want that number to be $750 billion. In other words, on the largest item of discretionary spending in the federal budget, accounting for more than half of the total, Democrats and Republicans are divided by 2.3 percent. That is the cancerous consensus in Washington today.
The United States’ defense budget is out of control, lacking strategic coherence, utterly mismanaged, ruinously wasteful and yet eternally expanding.
By Fareed Zakaria | 18 July 2019
RELATED TOPICS:
Fresno State’s Randa Jarrar Dragged Out of Event Featuring Big Bang Theory’s Mayim Bialik
Latest /
16 hours ago
Trump Calls Judge ‘Crooked’ After Facing a Warning of Jail Time if He Violates a Trial Gag Order
Politics /
16 hours ago
Federal Reserve Says Interest Rates Will Stay at Two-Decade High Until Inflation Further Cools
Economy /
16 hours ago
House Passes Bill Expanding Antisemitism Definition Amid Campus Protests Over Gaza War
Politics /
16 hours ago
Trump Awarded 36 Million More Trump Media Shares Worth $1.8 Billion
Business /
17 hours ago
Categories
Latest
Videos
Latest /
16 hours ago
Fresno State’s Randa Jarrar Dragged Out of Event Featuring Big Bang Theory’s Mayim Bialik
Politics /
16 hours ago
Trump Calls Judge ‘Crooked’ After Facing a Warning of Jail Time if He Violates a Trial Gag Order
Latest /
2 days ago