Defense Spending Increases

Paper Summary:

This paper attempts to analyze the recent increases of the national defense budget. The author argues this was plotted by US President George Bush and the US Congress in order to increase economic growth for future generations of American citizens. The writer further argues that these increases are the type of funding that feed capitalism in a negative way by promoting war and war industries. The author concludes that the current spending trends do not consider the average citizen.

Outline:
Executive Summary
Statement of Thesis
Introduction
Global Military Spending By Country
Background
Importance of the Research
Methodology
U.S. National Defense Spending Facts & Figures
Figure 2 Discretionary Defense Budget
Afghanistan and Iraq Missions and Impact on Defense
-Spending Increases
National Defense Spending Insanity Evidenced in Thoughtless Waste
Analysis of 'Who' is it that Profits from Increased Defense Spending
Counter Argument
Figure 3
Findings of the Study
Discussion
Bibliography

From the Paper:

"According to the report entitled: "Recent Trends in World Spending: U.S. Military Spending Compared to World Spending" the United States military spending "...currently makes up 47% of the world military spending. The U.S. budget is also more than 8 times larger than the Chinese budget, the second largest spender." (Recent Trends in World Spending, 2006) In fact the rate of spending by the US military on a global basis rose 11% but if the costs of U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan is subtracted from these figures the global military spending would have totaled a rise of only 4% in the year 2003 instead of the actual 11% rise stated. (Ibid) Additionally stated in the report is the fact that: "Among the four major spenders next to the USA- China, Russia, Japan, and, France. Only China has made any significant increase in its military spending since 1998 (an annual average rate of 10-12 %). Military spending in the other countries also increased but only moderately." (Ibid) The following table labeled Figure 1 shows the "Global Military Spending" by the countries of the United States, China, Russian, France, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Saudi Arabia, India and South Korea during 2002."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Recent Trends in World Spending: U.S. Military Spending Compared to World Spending (2006) Online available at: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~jephrean/classweb/In%20Context.html.
• "United States Military Spending: History of U.S. Defense Funding http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~jephrean/classweb/United%20States.html
• Pincus, Walter (2004) Security Spending Increases in Iraq: Safety Concerns Grow as Handover Nears May 30 2004 Washington Post Online available at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A1488-2004May29?language=printer.
• Pincus, Walter (2004) Safety Concerns Grow as Handover Nears- Security Spending Increases in Iraq May 30 2004 Washington Post Online available at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A1488-2004May29?language=printer
• Conetta, Carl & Knight, Charles (1997) Post-Cold War U Military Expenditure in the Context of World Spending Trends January 1997 Project on Defense Alternatives Briefing Memo 19 Online available at: http://www.comw.org/pda/bmemo10.htm.

More papers on Defense Spending Increases:

• Research Paper # 98654 : "A Cutback in Defense Spending"
• Persuasive Essay # 50432 : "U.S. Defense Spending"
• Persuasive Essay # 116909 : "Security Spending Increases"

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