What would happen if....we took $100billion from defense and put it into education?

Question

http://www.federalbudget.com/

According to this site in 2007 we spent about $580 billion on defense and about $60 billion on education. Could we not still be safe with $480 billion on defense and $160 billion on education? I'm looking for a serious logical answer. I do not know the answer I just feel like those proportions could be more even. What kind impact would this make?

Answer 1

Based on the fact that we are currently fighting a war on two different fronts the money would simply be taken from another program to make up the difference.

Is $580 billion a lot? Without a doubt - but do you want to explain to a Soldier that the mine resistant vehicle that he needs simply costs too much money to provide?

Without a doubt education is vitally important to this nation - but try to keep in mind where that freedom to pursue an education comes from.

Answer 2

What would happen ?

the G O P would loose its kickbacks from the defense contractors

Answer 3

guns cost dough

Answer 4

NO WAY

Too many defense contractors would starve and have to live on the street with barrels around their tummy.

That and we need all that money to come up with new ways to blow up brown people that are starving and have no education.

Answer 5

Well, after the US is invaded, and then surrenders and is occupied by Iran and Russia, the people in those countries would have access to our public schools.   Would this make you happy?   Incidentally, your figures on money spent on education are off by about a trillion dollars.  Sheesh.

Answer 6

This will to America and the world very good. America will think twice before it attacks somebody.  

Answer 7

you replace the education with national healthcare and i think thats a wonderful plan, i graduated high school within the last year and i can tell you it is 100% the kids fault, if you WANT to learn you have every opportunity to do so, and if your lazy and dont want to work..well, you can do that to.and by the way, im one of the kids who didnt want to do my schoolwork, i just know plenty of kids who were motivated and are heading off the college, i only stuck it out because the Marine Corps requires a Diploma.

also @ tegan the "dream" i would like to invite you to either go to iraq or to please go lie down on the freeway.im really hoping you choose the latter

Answer 8

studies have indicated our educational system is failing not due to lack of funds, but shorter educational time, lack of parental involvement and lack of interest in performance by kids. Dumping in more money wont improve.

When you discuss cutting military budget you are either cutting troops, or cutting jobs from contractors - which are you suggesting ?

Answer 9

Since the public school system is broken and the  unions have a stranglehold on how the various districts operate, one trillion dollars would not fix it. It takes more than money to resurrect education in this country and the measures that need to be taken are too numerous to go into detail here.  

Answer 10

The quality of education would continue to drop and the price of gasoline would triple when the Iranians blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

And you would be here whining about why the military cannot 'do something about it.'

When was the last time increasing money for education produced any measurable results?

Answer 11

The problems with education is the kids and non-parents.  Look at the inner-city school situation...the problem is that the parents don't parent. There are no discipline, values or morals. Money will not change that.  When are we going to have accountablity?  

Better parents = Better kids = Better Education = smarter kids = more efficient workforce = higher standard of living for everyone.

You cannot teach kids that don't want to learn because they parents don't support education.

Answer 12

you would end up with thousands of well educated unemployed Civilians

Answer 13

suddenly children would actually be able to read and poor kids will get an education and the country will progress. obvious, simple but oh so hard for the govt.

Answer 14

Impacts:  1.  US elementary thru high school students would, in increasing numbers, seek higher education, particularly in the so called harder areas - Math, Science, Physics, Philosophy. 2.  The true democracy, that of learning, would be elevated to a point that people again could argue about their different interests in ways that attack the opposing idea rather than attacking the opposing person.  3.  We would be able to say that we could actually stamp out stupidity in our life time.  4.  We would have something to share with a greater part of the world population - access to education -and that goes back to democracy.  There are more but that's a start.

Answer 15

you seriously need to have a look at bill hick he makes a grate point about this go to you tube and type bill hicks war and drugs and have a look at other videos of his

Answer 16

The far left liberal, wasteful teacher unions would simply squander it!  If some of the $$ went towards private schools, THAT could help students

Peace

Answer 17

America would be a much better place.

We could cut the money that soldiers get paid when they're not working, and the free housing given to their spouses and brats for doing nothing at all.

Edit to Marine: Unlike members of the military, I'm not stupid enough to voluntarily put myself in a warzone.

Answer 18

How about this, we cutoff the money spent on housing, medical care, and schooling for the illegal's here in our country. That way we can take the $400 billion spent there and keep our military storng.

Blue316 makes one h**l of a point too!