If anyone thought the idea of a U.S. Space Force was dumb, the latest proposal for a Space National Guard is even dumber. At a point in time when unemployment is higher than any time since the depression of the 1930’s and when, according to the Congressional Budget Office, this year’s deficit is expected to reach $3.7 trillion, the fools in the Pentagon come up with a plan to augment the (totally useless) Space Force with a Space National Guard that is even more wasteful than the Space Force itself. This plan is so dumb that even spending the money for the CBO cost estimate is a waste.
Consider:
- FY 2020 federal budget revenue: $3.86 trillion1
- FY 2020 federal budget expenditures: $7.56 trillion
- FY 2020 federal budget deficit: $3.70 trillion
- Projected federal debt at end of FY 2020: $26.4 trillion2
Consider also that the defense budget for FY 2020 is $963 billion3 (including overseas contingency operations costs) is greater than the sum of all other nations’ military budgets combined and now they want more. Add to that, the Republicans are still considering another tax cut.
What level of insanity are we dealing with here? As it is, the Treasury has been running a Ponzi scheme as long as I can remember4. Where would we be if a real war broke out? It would appear that the goal of our administration is to support our adversaries by bankrupting the nation.
There is no threat to our nation or to our nation’s interests that justifies a Space Force, much less a Space National Guard. It is pure waste – waste that we cannot afford given the financial state of our nation. Anyone concerned about the welfare of our nation should urge their members of Congress to kill this proposal before it gets started; and while they are at it, dismantle the Space Force as well.
1 This is the estimate before the COVID-19 pandemic which undoubtedly will result in significant revenue reduction due to high unemployment.
2 Note: At the beginning of the Reagan administration in 1980, the national debt was $0.9 trillion (about 32% of the GDP). Compare that to the projected $26.4 trillion (about 120% of the GDP) at the end of this fiscal year. All but a small fraction of this added debt is the result of repeated tax cuts, increased defense spending and extravagant wall street and industry bailouts which, according to President Reagan, would pay for themselves.
3 The Balance: FY 2020 Federal Budget.
4 Money used to pay dividends on previous investments is obtained from new investments, most of which comes from the Federal Reserve.