2009 Military Budget

G.W. Bush is requesting 515.4 billion dollars for the military. That is more than the total of all the military budgets for the rest of the world. But actually Bush is requesting 713.1 billion dollars for the military because he doesn't include money for fighting our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The budget request also doesn't include 16 billion dollars for nuclear war heads, 5 billion dollars for defense related activities and 4.3 billion dollars for other mandated military activities.

So what major weapons systems is Bush asking for? The Navy wants a new aircraft carrier, A DDG1000 destroyer and a Virginia Class nuclear submarine - total cost for new ships about 16 billion dollars. Then we have the F-35 fighter for the Navy, Airforce and Marine Corps - that's 46 billion dollars. How about almost 13 billion dollars for the missle defense system?

Oddly enough, I am a military weapons buff. My bookshelf is full of books about the military and major weapons - especially ships, submarines and aircraft. But these weapons are all weapons meant to be used in a massive conventional war with a major world power. I won't question whether we need or do not need the weapons. But surely the aquisition of the weapons could be put on a slower schedule. Obviously, stopping the war in Iraq would provide some budgetary relief. But we still seem to be one scared country.