Doncha know we ALWAYS gots plenty of cash for war? Just break out the ol'credit cards, hand them to the War Pigs and send the bills to the poor and middle class.

See? No problem.

Lockheed Martin probably just gets one of those Iraq war style pallets of cash

Finance provides the iron limits on choices.

We have to provide more real security...I think pacifists agree at least temporarily. We want real security, not handouts to war pigs. Auditing defense contracts and limiting campaign contributions by all government contractors, federal state and local, is a logical first step.

After that, what next?

What can we realistically do... we should we do given our budgetary constraints?

When the active military and its suppliers have unlimited budgets and have weapons acquisitions they don't want or need forced on them by Congress (more drones than operators or missions, for instance), I don't see any fiscal constraints.

Constraints are only for things that will help the masses - infrastructure spending, education spending, social services and the like.

"Deficits don't matter." - VP Dick Cheney

Not a sham "coalition" like the Bush/Cheney cabal put together for the Iraq invasion.

...to run around flailing that we can't afford to keep up our NATO obligations. That's a career-limiting move. It also emboldens militias, who will then be 'necessary' since 'clearly the government can't police the borders and now we have more refugees so guess we'll have to do it'.

leave them over there, saves on the healthcare when they get back.