2020 Military Spending: 🇺🇸$740 billion 🇨🇳$193 billion 🇮🇳$64 billion 🇬🇧$62 billion 🇷🇺$61 billion 🇫🇷$55 billion 🇩🇪$51 billion 🇯🇵$50 billion 🇸🇦$49 billion 🇰🇷$40 billion 🇦🇺$31 billion 🇮🇹$29 billion 🇧🇷$22 billion We should not spend more than the next 12 nations combined on defense.
@SenSanders Especially when some of that $$ ends up being used for "extracurricular activities" 👇 scribd.com/document/49724…
@SenSanders Don't worry, its free! "Everthing I want the government to do I call free to trick morons, then complain about how much they spend in other areas." - Bernie Probably
@SenSanders @ggreenwald Doesn’t account for purchasing power. Other countries’ money goes a lot further than the US’s.
@SenSanders Guess what maintains the value of the US dollar? -hint it needs bombs, guns and soldiers.
@SenSanders @WallOffTrump And yet, no matter whether its Dems or Republicans in charge, we continue to do so.
@SenSanders The US should cut the troops and military budget by 50%. It would still be the biggest in the wourld by far, but the threat to other nations would be a bit reduced. This would make iteasier for other nations to also reduce their budget.
@SenSanders @ggreenwald is the military infrastructure?
@SenSanders I weep for your country.
@SenSanders @ggreenwald These figures need adjusting for territory size and local costs (wages, fuel, parts & supplies). Still probably a huge disparity but the picture would be more interesting. Special consideration also needed on R&D budget as some of that actually benefits the world, example GPS.
@SenSanders Well maybe if you dislike it @BernieSanders then say “@JoeBiden stop going back on all you promises you coward and cut the military budget like you said you would! Are you a man of your word or not?” Thats what you should be tweeting, the only person you need to convince is Biden
@SenSanders And why we die in healthcare poverty! Struggle on unlivable wages!! We are being priced out of existence 🤷🏻♀️
@SenSanders @dhh Small price to pay to prepare for & win the next great war. In fact we should be investing far more in missile defense & directed energy weapons for near-term deployment. Eventually we'll need to develop space-based neutral particle beam systems but that's decades away.
@SenSanders @QuincyInst most of which being close allies,. UK, F, D, Jp, Kr, I and one big non hostile, India
@SenSanders We need to bolster the numbers of our national guard, reserves and military bases here at home. Just spreading around money on defense contractors doesn't mean a strong cohesive military.
@SenSanders @ggreenwald Well if we didn’t send our troops to every country with a drop of oil and conflict, we probably wouldn’t have to budget like this. But as usual; the real problem won’t be solved and there DEFINITELY won’t be less spending. They’ll shift it to “infrastructure” and raise taxes.
@SenSanders @ggreenwald Someone should tell your colleagues.
@SenSanders You are absolutely correct - if we worked on training the Citizens who possess firearms to complement the military, we wouldn’t need to spend so much on it.
@SenSanders Next do the billions of dollars we dole out to practically every country...every year.
@SenSanders ‘intelligence’ alone: $85 billion #priorities #fullspectrumdominance #aworldthatwillholdallthepeople
@SenSanders Most of these comments lack any sense of the global interplay at work keeping sea lanes and markets open for ourselves and the world. Also, China and Russia won’t simply “stop” because we do. Pointing out problems is easy. Offering solutions requires leadership.
@SenSanders China and Russia are reasons we spend to protect half the rest of this list...
@SenSanders Yep. We shouldn't be spending that much when anyone from around the world can just walk right in from the South. That's buying a gun but no bullets.
@SenSanders @ggreenwald As you very well know, most of the US figure is salaries and benefits. China and Russia rely on barely-paid conscripts. India is all volunteer but has a much lower cost of living, and the European & Japanese militaries are relatively small organizations.
@SenSanders There's a tipping point at which military spending is more likely to get you into wars than keep you out of them. We are way past it.
@SenSanders U.S. military spending is obscene, unsustainable, and an object of unacceptable bipartisan consensus. Until we replace Pelosi in the CA-12 seat, it won’t likely change.
@SenSanders U.S. military spending is obscene, unsustainable, and an object of unacceptable bipartisan consensus. Until we replace Pelosi in the CA-12 seat, it won’t likely change.
@SenSanders We could fund SO many programs, & fix so many hardships if we simply didn't spend such a RIDICULOUS amount of money on our military. The military needs to be funding, of course, it does, but to THIS extent? No.
@SenSanders End the endless wars. End the war in Afghanistan.
@SenSanders And how many people are trying to actively attack those countries you mention? There is a reason we have to spend more.
@SenSanders The dollar value is backed by military spending Bernie...you know this.... maybe we change it to being backed by Bitcoin and we will start to see our spending shift to healthcare and innovation. Just a thought...
@SenSanders That’s why are country is starving for infrastructure and other stuff. Always buying military equipment and fighting wars.
@SenSanders No we should not spend anymore money on the military. Instead it can go to us the American people into the resources we need and our communities too.
@SenSanders Its important to have it in context of GDP:
@SenSanders "Who needs better a health care system, a stable infrastructure or even a livable wage, when we can just blow up the whole world."
@SenSanders Our bloated military budget has really not gotten us much. We could do with half as much, and a more robust National Guard. At current, many willing NG volunteers can't join due to age, etc. If we decreased active duty, stopped wasting $$ on useless programs...