pherris's Journal: Make that $1600 check out to the "DoD" svp.

"The US Senate has unanimously approved a $447bn defence spending bill which includes $25bn for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan."

$477b ÷ 294m people = a $1623 USD bill to every US man, woman and child for stuff that is meant to kill other people.

From US approves $447bn defence bill:

It is 5.7% larger than the 2004 defence budget, excluding the Iraq money, but is 1.7% below what President George Bush was asking for.

Senators also voted to boost army numbers by 20,000.

And the US House of Representatives has approved record funding for the US intelligence agencies.

The approval came despite recent criticism over intelligence failures, including the September 11 attacks.

The Senate must approve its own version of the bill before it can become law.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a similar defence budget for 2005 by a 403 to 17 vote.

The Senate's budget includes a 3.5% pay raise for all military personnel and $10.2bn for a missile defence system.

Programs such as the F/A-22 Raptor aircraft, Joint Strike Fighter and DD(X) destroyer program are also set to receive billions of dollars.

The extra spending on Iraq and Afghanistan reverses a previous spending pledge.

But the White House, in making the request last month, said it was down to "recent developments on the ground and increased demands on our troops".

The increase in troops was initially opposed by the White House and Pentagon and aims to relieve the pressure on the US Army.

It increases the Army size by about 4% to more than 500,000.

Ed.: Formatted as originally posted. Apparently the BBC doesn't know how to form a proper paragraph.

(sidebar)

2005 Defence Bill Highlights:

$76bn weapons and ordnance

$68.6bn research and development

$30bn national defence programs

$10.2bn missile defence system

$4.6bn Joint Strike Fighter

$925m heavy armoured vehicles

$905m light armoured vehicles

$727.3m Chinook CH-47 helicopters

$603.2m body armour

$131.1m reconnaissance drones

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex." - President Dwight D. Eisenhower in his farewell address to the US, 1961. FYI, to some that don't know he was the former Allied Supreme Commander in WWII and US Army five star general.

Odd priorities

[freejung]

Not only is this patently insane, of course, but the priorities are odd. Given the realistic prospects for missile defense (which, I understand, are pretty remote), wouldn't you spend a little more on body armor?

Re:Odd priorities

[pherris]

Given the realistic prospects for missile defense ..., wouldn't you spend a little more on body armor?

Because defence contractors that build missiles (and have a much higher profit margin than those that make body armour) give campaign contributions and bribes at active politicos and very well paying jobs when said leave office.