Is the Pentagon Worth the Money?

Details of budget cuts that kept the government open are now being revealed. Despite some accounting gimmicks, reductions will cause real pain. Bus as the Senate and Congress decide whether to ratify Friday's budget deal, one department getting an increase spends some 20 percent of America's tax dollars. The Pentagon will net a $5 billion increase at a time when some insiders say it's more bloated and less accountable than ever before. On Capitol Hill, it's no secret that the defense budget is impossible to audit and that nobody knows what complex weapons systems really cost. Some insist that the US is preparing for past wars or for wars that will never be fought. Whose interests does it really serve?