GRAFE: Candidates need to discuss military spending

From seguingazette.com — Over the years, we have all heard the loud cries from various groups (primarily on the left politically) to cut the U.S. defense budget and apply that savings to education and other “good” causes — suggesting that expenditures for the military were not as good and certainly were not necessary.

In terms of millions of inflation-adjusted dollars, in 1940 the U.S. spent $27,352 on defense (all national defense, DOD and civilian, but excludes veterans affairs) and $39,004 on public K-12 education (all government expenditures — federal, state, and local for public schools K-12).

That was before the U.S. involvement in WWII. Continued at seguingazette.com.

To learn more about military spending, read Peace Economy Project’s report: Defying Belief: Pursuing Provocative Strategies for Stable Peace and Security.

Tag budget priorities Defense Budget demilitarization military spending peace and security

Katerina Canyon

Katerina Canyon serves as Executive Director of the Peace Economy Project, where she combines her passion for community advocacy, creative expression, and social justice to challenge militarization and uplift human-centered policy. Drawing on experience in tech, nonprofits, and international communication, she leads research and organizing focused on peace, accountability, and community investment. She is also a poet whose work explores trauma, resilience, and collective healing.