SEC. GATES MENTIONS A SENSIBLE GOAL

Unfortunately, he doesn't agree with it at all:

Tough choices to be made in cutting defense: Gates
By David Alexander

WASHINGTON | Tue May 24, 2011 7:11pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned on Tuesday that policymakers would face tough choices trimming military budgets, weighing cuts in pay and benefits against delays in updating aging ships and jets.

"Unless our country's political leadership envisions a dramatically diminished global security role for the United States, it is vitally important to protect the military modernization accounts -- in absolute terms, and as a share of the defense budget," he said.

His remarks, at the American Enterprise Institute think tank, came as the Obama administration struggles to get a grip on the country's $1.4 trillion deficit and $14.3 trillion debt after 10 years of war spending and a deep recession.

We currently account for over 40% of the entire world's defense spending and I think we can cut that amount in half without any harm to American interests.