Thinking Creatively to Reduce Military Costs

France and the UK have come up with an innovative way to reduce taxpayer money spent on the military.

"Britain and France are preparing to reveal unprecedented plans to share the use of their aircraft carriers in a controversial step to maintain military power in an era of cost-cutting.

In a potential threat to thousands of shipyard jobs, the move would make it easier for Britain to scrap or downgrade one of the two replacement carriers which are already under construction at a cost of £5.2billion.

David Cameron and President Sarkozy are expected to outline the proposal in a November summit, which will lead to British and French flagships working together and protecting the interests of both countries.

The arrangement, expected to come into force soon after the announcement, would ensure that one of three ships - one French, two British - was always on duty patrolling the seas. At present, there are periods when both ageing British vessels - HMS Ark Royal and HMS Illustrious - are in dock."

First of all, raise your hand if you even knew that France or the UK had active, patrolling aircraft carriers.

In all seriousness, France and the UK should be congratulated for considering this measure.

Yes, it certainly could mean that military jobs may be lost in both countries, in that neither military should need the same amount of personnel after this measure is adopted as they did beforehand.

However, the savings from reduced spending on the military should increase national investment in those countries, as that money is then redirected to more productive uses.

For the US, the best possible outcome would be if spending on our military was slashed, and if the US military's overall mission was reduced to defending our national security, and not saber-rattling overseas and starting wars with meaningless, tiny countries.

However, since completing redefining its mission will take a number of years, for now the US should consider employing creative measures like France and the UK to reduce the overall cost and burden on the American taxpayer today.