A strong defense is good for the economy.

Of all the Government-sponsored programs, only DoD projects produce jobs in large quantities. Only DoD buys Big Hardware, ships, aircraft, tanks, computers, etc. Big Hardware requires Big Manufacturing Facilities and the full spectrum jobs that go with them, everything from scientists to floor sweepers. The only substitute is a large National endeavor such as a space program. During the push for the moon landing the entire nation was busy working.

Defense-based spending stimulates technology. We went from canvas and bamboo bi-wing airplanes to jets and liquid-fueled rockets within 6 or 7 years during WW2. We went from fire-on-the-uproll to fire control computers in that time. We went from not flying at all to walking on the moon in less than 60 years. Good Grief! Will we ever see progress like that again?

Military spending also assures those jobs (for the most part) remain right here in the U.S.A. There are exceptions opf course. A lot of our ships have an Italian antiaircraft gun for example.

Aside from large Government-sponsored military hardware programs such as those other large scale endeavors such as infrastructure, energy or food-related projects simply don't employ the numbers or spectrum of jobs.

The rest of the Government departments generally just shuffle paper and pass money from one pocket to another, usually our pocket to thiers. They buy very little hardware.

I have rigged my collision mat.