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CBO estimates $95 billion/year maintaining and modernization nuclear weapons for the next 10 years: https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61362

Total USAID budget: $50 billion in 2023, $19 billion in 2026. https://www.usaspending.gov/agency/agency-for-international-...

> And neither of those items are of much significance on the US federal budget.

$95 billion / year is $620 per US taxpayer.

> social safety net programs are half of the federal budget

I suppose you are referring to the big 3: Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Those are programs that people pay for. In the same way that retirement savings, pensions, and private health insurance is something that people pay for.

But whatever, every dollar wasted to blow up people in another country can be excused because the federal budget includes programs that provide services to people in this country...or something. It is extremely revealing how some people are completely unbothered by some spending and are extremely bothered by other spending. The nuclear weapons don't bother you, but spending a bit of money to help alleviate famine for people in destitute countries is just unacceptable.



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