for supporters of all candidates: military spending and the cost of war: who will stop it?

[restorefreedom]

military spending consumes huge amounts of our budget and more is spent than the next 13 countries combined. the three remaining candidates have different positions on the military's role and whether the u.s. should intervene and under what conditions. how important is this issue to your voting and how do we as voters get our voices heard over the MIC?

[Gman]

1. So what do you do with the millions of civilian

Civil servants working with the military who will be unemployed? Or what do you do with the millions of civilian contractors? Or even the active duty military personnel who would be suddenly unemployed? Good way to crash the economy.

[think]

3. Would it not be better to employ some of these people to do work that benefits a peace time economy?

And obviously many or most would still remain employed in the armed services & military contractor roles.

No one is calling for the complete elimination of or military. The goal though should be to put people to work in a capacity that rebuilds infrastructure, works to combat climate change, works to protect against other forms of disasters like wildfires, earthquakes, epidemics, hurricanes etc.

Investing in these type of items would also help bring resources home and also create greater economic opportunity by providing services and products that increase productivity and functionality of society.

In some cases military personal occupying military bases adds very little to the vitality of the economy other than to produce jobs that add no long term benefit in terms of creating a better society to work in. This is not helping America be competitive and vibrant in a global economy.

Again. The military is going nowhere and the majority of the jobs would continue just as they do currently. The goal would be to find areas where the cost of maintaining military jobs is outweighed by the need for more productive types of activity that benefits society in a meaningful way on an on going basis.

JMO..

[Gman]

11. Good answer

I don't man to imply guns for butter is a good thing. Only that desirable things are not easy to achieve.

[restorefreedom]

4. so keep fighting wars and killing people

because it provides jobs?

there are so many things that need doing..people can be retrained. as to the active duty, they can be employed in a civil capacity after being offered an honorable discharge if they wish to get out.

[Gman]

12. I don't mean to imply guns and butter is a good thing

After Vietnam was ove, it was the first time in 35 years we were not in a non-war economy and we had a big recession. I agree there's plenty to do for the military that doesn't involve killing people while keeping big people working.

Since war is all about somebody's money, economic impacts have to be considered.

[restorefreedom]

13. then lets plan ahead

i am sure these economy wonks are capable of coming up with a plan to transition to a peacetime economy. there is so much to be done and we have the talent. we just have to have the will imo.

[gwheezie]

2. The economy of Virginia will tank.

We will go back to growing tobaccy.
Perhaps we can rebuild our infrastructure and expand education. Maybe we can develop the new economy based on energy. Just a few ideas but I doubt any president is going to be able to dismantle the mic in 2 terms.

[restorefreedom]

7. i like the energy idea

there is so much infrastructure to be rebuilt/repaired. there is plenty to do, we just have to match/retrain people and put them with the need.

but we have to have the will to vote out those who want to keep taking us to war.

[NCTraveler]

5. It is interesting that in a country this large we don't have one single anti-war candidate.

It seems to be a part of every fiber of our beings. We really aren't even putting forth someone wanting to curtail the spending in a serious manner.

[restorefreedom]

8. questions of this nature

shoukd be asked at the next debate. and not generalities, but specifics regarding spending and the role of the military.

[NCTraveler]

9. Fully agree.

It is an excellent topic for discussion. I actually thing the mindset of many before we needed hundreds of thousands of ground troops was the way to go. Smaller, more responsive and precise, and the best in the world at delivering aid. I would also like to see an impartial and skilled third party negotiate contracts. The problem with that is we are talking the lifeblood of unions.

Lots of other thoughts as well. Thanks.

[restorefreedom]

10. i like the thirdparty idea

i do think unions and the labor force can be redirected towards peacetime work as someone else mentioned.

my dream would have been to have a series of themed debates, maybe 8-12, with each one focused in depth on a topic...defense/foreign policy, economy, justice reform, etc. they could be perhaps a bit shorter than 2-3 hrs with only three candidates, but really get into it.

would have been nice.....

[rug]

6. None of them.