We actually agree on something!
It is ridiculous to invest in high technology war machines that will go absolete in the next 5 to 10 years, if we have no intention of attacking other countries. The likelihood of the US being attacked (other, of course than terrorist attacks) in the next 10 to 20 years is non existent. Unless, of course, you believe that "Aliens" from out of space can attack us. . .and in that case, I'm not sure what our earthly defense would do for us! It would be like fighting men from the 21st centuries with weapons of the ice age!
And in the mean time we are paying huge fortune to double and triple cover our spare parts for planes. . .who will become "antiques" within 5 years!
In the other hand. . . investing in high speed rail would be tagged as "crazy" by the proponents of high defense spending. . .and yet, I bet there is more than one thing to learn about being able to construct a railroad that allows passenger trains (or military plains!) to travel at 400 miles per hour. . .AND can be used immediately for public transportation, and thus relieve some of our dependency on foreign oil!
We spend close to FIVE times more than the next big power (China spends 173 billions a year and they are SECOND. We are first with $711 billions! China who is #2 spend 2% of their GDP on military spending. As #1, we spend 4.7 % of our GDP on military spending! And Russia (#3) spends just over $70 billions in military defense!)
What are we trying to prove? that we can destroy the world and all its inhabitants faster than the worst war monger among our enemies?
Couldn't we stay "FIRST in defense" if we spend TWO times more than China? FOUR times more than Russia? And it would represent a saving of $400 BILLIONS A YEAR!
How much "scrap" do we have every year. . (obsolete equipment that was never or rarely used). And, how much danger is all that "scrap" to US? What happens to that equipment once it is no longer "good enough" for us? Yes, it is probably dismantled. . .probably. . .maybe not! And even IF it is dismantled. . .what do we do with the spare parts? Sell it on the black market? To whom? Do we reapatriate all that equipment that we used over sea? ALL of it? Isn't there a way for some enterprising person oversea to make a pretty penny with the 1/20 of the equipment that may be "unaccounted for?" And who gets it?
I don't have answers to all those questions. . .but I think they are valid questions for which we SHOULD have answers.
p.s the data I provided comes from this source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures