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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcc6!loral!simard
From: simard@loral.UUCP (Ray Simard)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: 7X difference on weapons??
Message-ID: <698@loral.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 5-Dec-84 23:52:33 EST
Article-I.D.: loral.698
Posted: Wed Dec  5 23:52:33 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Dec-84 04:44:59 EST
References: <34700004@uiucuxc.UUCP> <1@ucbcad.UUCP>
Reply-To: simard@loral.UUCP (Ray Simard)
Organization: Loral Instrumentation, San Diego, CA
Lines: 80
Summary: 

>I noticed
>in yesterday's (Wednesday) WSJ that The Supreme Soviet, or Parliament
>was told that '85 arms spending will be equivalent of $22.38 billion.  As the
>Journal noted, Soviet spending on arms is believed to be about 2X that amount
>by some creative accounting.  Anyway, say they're spending about $50 billion
>on defense.
> 
>The same day's Journal had an article about how the Pentagon is firm on its
>request for $333.7 billion budget for fiscal '86.  
> 
>What gives? 
>How come there is a nearly 7X difference between the two countries
>on spending?

	Among other problems, this observation is a clear case of an
apples-and-oranges comparison.  It compares Soviet ARMS spending with
American MILITARY spending.

	In case you don't know the difference, here is a (VERY) small
list of examples of MILITARY spending that is not ARMS spending:

Gas for jeeps
Jeeps
Coffee for solders
Carrots for soldiers
Spaghetti for soldiers
PAYCHECKS FOR SOLDIERS (Yes, Virginia, they do get paid to be soldiers!)
Pensions for soldiers
Doorknobs for barracks
Doors to put the doorknobs on
Wrenches so soldiers can fix things (I don't like them costing $450 either)
Hamburger for soldiers
Polish for the brass fixtures on Navy ships
Navy ships
Loudspeakers for the PA systems on Navy ships
Loudspeakers for the PA systems elsewhere than Navy ships
Spare parts for jeeps (see item #2 above)
Beds for soldiers
Linens for beds for soldiers
Pillows for beds for soldiers
Pillowcases for pillows for beds for soldiers
Barbed wire for fences for military facilities
Paint for Navy ships
Paint for things other than Navy ships
Radar units for Navy ships
Antennae for radar units for Navy ships
Motors to make the anennae for radar units for Navy ships go around
Ropes to tie the Navy ships to the dock
Docks to tie the ropes to to keep the ships from drifting from Pearl to Subic
 all by themselves
Lightswitches
Coffeepots to brew the coffee I mentioned earlier in.
Radios to listen to
Radios to talk on
Airplanes
Rubber handles for some of the switches and knobs in the airplanes
Dishes to eat the carrots and spaghetti and other as yet unmentioned
 foodstuffs from by the soldiers.



	Let's see, have I missed anything?

	Let's also keep this in mind when someone decides that we're
spending 200-300 billion on nuclear weapons.  We're spending
$21 billion on nuclear weapons.  A lot of money, but keep things in
perspective.



-- 

[     I am not a stranger, but a friend you haven't met yet     ]

Ray Simard
Loral Instrumentation, San Diego
{ucbvax, ittvax!dcdwest}!sdcsvax!sdcc6!loral!simard

...Though we may sometimes disagree,
   You are still a friend to me!