Source Watch: Wheeler on Defense Budget

Earlier today, I forecasted that the DOD budget will soon equal the 5% of GDP benchmark clumsily called for by the American Enterprise Institute.

To sum up: the AEI's Gary J. Schmitt and Thomas Donnelly think the defense budget should rise until it hits about 5% of GDP. And, as I pointed out, that's redundant. The 2008 budget will be that high anyway.

Winslow Wheeler, former Senate staffer/current director of the Straus Military Reform Project, emailed to add:

Indeed, and now Donnelly and AEI will up their ante to 6%.  Remember: More is never enough.Consider also: If the economy goes into recession and slows, and if the defense budget goes down, but less, the % for GDP goes UP. If the economy grows rapidly and defense spending grows, but less, defense's share of GDP goes down. If we can shrink the economy enough, Donnelly will get his wish.