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>For example, most of the US defense budget goes directly to the military industrial media complex instead of the uniformed military.

Source? I would be surprised if the highest category of military spend was not healthcare (including VA) plus salaries (including DB pensions) plus benefits, which is all payroll expense to employees.

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Looks like you're right -- $551 out of $842 billion, 65%, is spent on compensation.

https://www.cbo.gov/publication/59475 https://www.cbo.gov/publication/59511

Thanks for looking that up to confirm. My hunch was based on Medicare + Medicaid + Social Security eclipsing everything else in the US federal budget.

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