Some Questions for TigerHawk

TigerHawk is hands down one of the most interesting military/security blogs around. All the more reason to call him when he says something fatuous. Specifically here, where he remarks that defense spending is “only” 3.9 percent of GDP, in contrast to what he calls the “real fiscal outrage” of entitlement spending. Tiger (may I call you Tiger?), remember you are on your honor as a gentleman. Answer candidly:

• Tiger, you are a business exec, I believe?Do you ever control the budgets of subordinates? If a subordinate tells you that you shouldn’t worry about his costs because he is only a small part of the whole, are you impressed?

• As a business exec, I suspect you entertain skepticism of the power of government to solve problems, yes? Have you ever said “you can’t solve a problem by throwing money at it”--?

• Do you think returns to defense spending are linear? Would we twice as safe if we spent twice as much?

• Framing the previous question differently, in The New American Militarism, Andrew Bacevich argues that extra military spending actually makes us less safe, rather than more. Setting aside the question whether you think this to be the case now, do you think it ever could be the case? Is it, in other words, an issue worth pondering?

• You fulminate against “The shocking pattern … in the growth of social welfare spending for the middle class.” Is there any government program that you favor that does not entail the use of explosives?

• As an executive, I assume you are interested in cost controls? Do you know any principles of cost control that you might think relevant to the Pentagon? For extra credit, would you like to offer thoughts on how to apply them to the health care establishment, so as to reduce the pain of the entitlement transfers that you so disparage?