Guns and Butter

As the health care debate continues into its second year with all the alacrity of a senile tortoise on valium, I present a chart showing the relative government expenditures on defense and health care as something to contemplate.

In 2001, the federal government spent more on health care than on defense for the first time in our nation's history.  That year also saw the lowest spending on defense as a percentage of GDP since 1940.  September 11th changed everything, and we have seen a dramatic increase in defense spending which has kept it above health care, but only just barely.

Click the thumbnail below for a larger chart.

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