Can you really cut half of your military budget? You bet!

The sound of lament I heard last Thursday was a chorus of Beltway Warmanger screaming in despair at President Trump's proposal that there is no reason for the United States to spend $1 trillion on “defense.”

“…(o) The nephews of the first meeting I want are Chinese President XI and Russian President Putin. I want to cut our military budget by half. And I We can do that and we think we can do that,” the president told reporters.

With this statement, President Trump has blown up one of the greatest myths of our time, especially among Republicans. Spending more on the military is essential to keeping us safe. From arms makers to mainstream media, think tanks and beyond, there is a vast and well-funded network of political and industrial interests that rely on maintaining their myths. why? Because most of what is called “defense spending” has little to do with protecting the country and has nothing to do with enriching what is well-political connected.

A global military empire keeps us as unsafe and free, while bankrupting the United States. It seems that President Trump understands this. But for decades, military industry complexes and their cheerleaders have pushed the idea that they cannot survive without continuing to increase their budgets.

Thanks to the work of the “Government Ministry of Efficiency” we are learning that much of what is sold as “essential expenditures” is not a kind of thing. For example, look at USAID. We were made to believe that this institution feeds the poor while promoting the highest American values ​​overseas. Thanks to Doge, we learned that money becomes the kind of absurd funding a transgender puppet show in Peru.

They have also learned that many USAID money actually subverts foreign democratic governments, manipulates foreign media and promotes censorship of “dissident” voices both at home and abroad. Not only did USAID not support countries overseas, it was actually hurting them!

Like USAID, when we can see where the 1 trillion army military budget goes, Americans are trying to fully recognize that they have been lying for decades. That's why we need a full Pentagon audit and full transparency of the results.

Policy changes are also required. Americans are beginning to understand the economic costs of maintaining a global military empire. While US taxpayers are forced to cover more than half of the entire NATO budget, European countries rattle the Sabers in Russia, threatening war. If Europe feels so threatened by Russia, why don't they cover the costs of their own defense? Why do poor Americans have to pay to defend rich Europeans? Don't we have enough of this?

I highly hope that President Trump will follow his plan to significantly reduce the bloated military budget. We can start by closing hundreds of military bases overseas, taking troops back from abroad, and eliminating massive commitments to NATO and other international organizations.

We will be richer, safer and happier.

Ron Paul is a former US lawmaker from Texas. This article was originally published at the Ronpaul Institute for Peace and Prosperity and has been reproduced here with permission.