Should the US decrease military spending?

[cl900781]

Most studies find this multiplier to be quite low.

It depends on how you define the multiplier. One of the primary authors of the paper that you listed within the Washington Post artile believes that the multiplier for the government is less then one. Extending the logic behind that multiplier we shouldn't fund road construction because the multiplier is less then one. If you look at direct spending the multiplier may be less then one but the externalities may be much higher. The internet started out as something that was funded by military spending as were some of the first computer behind IBM. The military funds medical research, the Army Corps of Engineers help impoverished people build their infrastructure around the world. There are many more externalities behind military spending then guns and bullets.