Close Reading December

The Pentagon is famous for two things, being the site where our national security is planned and executed, and having an excessive budget. According to the author, the Pentagon needs to reduce its budget to be affordable. The author uses details to emphasize his point.

Thinking of having a billion dollars, let alone spending a billion dollars, is slightly mind boggling. the author points out that last year's budget was "$530 billion" from their "basic budget" which does not include the costs for our current entanglements in the Middle East. Calling on the absurdity in needing more money, the author goes through a list of things that the Pentagon could cut. This use of detail generates anger at how our tax dollars are being spent. Instead of buying a purse to get the job done, the Pentagon is buying a Coach Purse and the bill is the proof. After it is all said and done, according to the author we could save $38 billion a year by cutting "unnecessary projects" with "all the bells and whistles". In addition another $600 billion could be saved if we cut back on nuclear-related programs

All in all, this editorial bashed the bloated budget of the Pentagon using details. The details amplified his point by adding a sense of astonishment at how out of control the Pentagon budget has become and that we should encourage their budget being cut.