Oops, BA, I think you misstepped a bit.

The largest segment of the Federal budget is not the military. It's the entitlement programs, such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

However, of the non-entitled portion of the budget, the military is the biggest dipper. And I agree with the rest of your comments, but it quickly becomes a question of politics.

My pet peeve at the moment is the proposed missile defense system -- a huge expenditure for an unproven system of limited usefulness.