Topic: The dangers of looking at just one piece of the Federal pie

[Libertas]

Discreationary Spending Graphic - National Defense



http://www.visualcapitalist.com/death-taxes-2015-visual-guide-tax-dollars-go/

This gives just one piece of the pie, which is misleading, which is why ZeroHedge loved running with it on their site today...the hardcore PaulBot has always had a naive pacifist Code Pink like view of national defense, and while I am not a flaming nation-building Neo-Con, to divorce oneself from practical national defense concerns is as foolish as it is dangerous.

The national defense budget is 16.175% of the total FY15 budget.  Social Security alone exceeds it.  Medicare, Medicaid, interest on the national debt and other entitlements and pork comprise another massive chunk of bloated waste.  And Obama just while he has been in office has added $7.5 Trillion to the national debt!!!

National Defense has areas for better management and distribution of funds that can save taxpayer money, but the rest of the pie should not get a free pass!!!

[Weisshaupt]

The national defense budget is 16.175% of the total FY15 budget.  Social Security alone exceeds it.  Medicare, Medicaid, interest on the national debt and other entitlements and pork comprise another massive chunk of bloated waste.  And Obama just while he has been in office has added $7.5 Trillion to the national debt!!!

National Defense has areas for better management and distribution of funds that can save taxpayer money, but the rest of the pie should not get a free pass!!!

Yeah, but technically SS, Medicare and Medicaid AREN'T part of the budget.  They are mandatory spending and therefore not included. Whenever you see any pie-chart showing defense to be 50%  of the budget its because they are showing you budget -- NOT govt spending..

Lies, lies and more lies.

[Pandora]

... technically SS, Medicare and Medicaid AREN'T part of the budget.  They are mandatory spending and therefore not included.

That's always been funny.  Haha.  For us, food is mandatory spending, regardless of quality or quantity, yet, somehow it remains part of my budget.  Maybe if we got our allotment for free from Nanny, as many do, we could consider it off-budget and call it good.

[Libertas]

It'll be a real Ha Ha funny when off balance sheet stuff sucks the government down a hole.  I know I'll be yucking it up and saying, "See, told ya so!".