The Public Doesn't Support Raising Defense Spending Again

Donald Trump has proposed a new budget for next year. While drastically cutting all domestic programs (including Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security), his budget would raise defense spending to $750 billion -- an increase of $34 billion, or about 5%.

The United States was already spending more in its military budget than the next 10-12 biggest spending countries combined, and that was before that spending was raised significantly for this year's budget. If Trump's budget was passed, military spending would comprise about 57% of the government's discretionary budget.

Personally, I don't think another rating of the military budget (most of which goes to the corporations in the military-industrial complex) can be justified. And it looks like the general public agrees.

Note the charts above. The top chart shows that only 31% of the public believes the defense needs to be stronger (needs more money applied to it). About 55% is happy with the current spending, and 12% wants a decrease.

And that is the feeling of both political parties. Only 15% of Democrats and 37% of Republicans think the defense budget needs to be increased.

It's time to stop feeding the incessant greed of the military-industrial complex, and start taking care of American citizens (who have been left behind by Republican policies that reward only the rich).

The charts above are from a recent Gallup Poll -- done between February 1st and 10th of a national sample of 1,016 adults, with a 4 point margin of error.