Why do we spend so much on the military these days?

[Anonymous]

The U. S. spends about $1 trillion a year that they are willing to admit to. The truth is, it's probably closer to $1.5 trillion. Why? I mean, at this point, thanks to Trump, I think most of the world probably hates our guts, but they're also still probably afraid enough of us to not mess with us too much. Hopefully. That may not be completely true.

I'm not sure people understand the point of all this spending. It is not necessary to buy effective, safe, or secure military equipment. What is necessary is to have so-called "needs" that allow the Pentagon to buy literally $1.2, $1.3, or $1.4 trillion a year in expensive equipment from war contractors, thereby funneling tax money to them. Whether the equipment works properly, whether it is needed, or whether it even does an adequate job is beside the point. The point is to move money from taxpayers to the war industry. The war industry manufactures equipment that doesn't work or isn't fit for purpose, but it turns a tremendous profit in the process. That is the point as well.

There is no other point. If you think there is, then you've missed the whole point of the entire exercise to begin with.

[MrChinaski]

Two reasons:

1. Trump shit on all your allies. So now you need to pay for the defence they used to contribute to the USA, in the same way they need to pay for the defence the USA used to contribute to them. Then China needs to amp up in case one day the Western Alliance gets all lovey-dovey again. Arms race. That's an extra $1000 per person in the USA every year forever. I hope you enjoy paying taxes.

2. Your military is the same as it was at the end of the Cold War. The military industrial complex likes turning out $2 million missile interceptors that are sometimes effective in taking down $20,000 drones. That's why you lost in Iran.

[888theGreat]

The War Industrial Complex IKE warned us about.

[strateguy632]

as a result of history. france 1944 and vietnam 1970 and korea 1955 and kuwait 1991 needed our help.

we are the ones patrolling the sea to prevent pirates. somalia iran and everywhere.

[strateguy632]

you mentioned "effective, safe, or secure military equipment. the Pentagon to buy literally $1.2, $1.3, or $1.4 trillion a year in expensive equipment' that was the safe bombers that flew past iran defense and destroyed, with expensive precise bombs: underground war bases.

[Asker]

I agree with you that in 1944, France definitely needed our help, and we provided it. My grandfather was one of the people who provided it. In Vietnam in 1970, they didn't do anything for us except to be left alone, and of course we didn't do that. The result of that was that 50,000 American soldiers were killed. We lost that war. Korea, 1955. Honestly, I don't know enough about the political situation here to comment, but I do know that we lost that war in the sense that it was settled with a tie, essentially, which I'm sure you would not even bother to call that a victory. Kuwait in 1991 was a problem between the Kuwaitis and the Iraqis, which both sides probably caused, but we had no business being there. Yet George Bush wanted to be there so he could be a hero. I will refer you to his legacy regarding that particular mistake.

[In_Trance]

Because if you didn't, your economy would collapse.
The only things keeping America running, sre the military and drugs

[MrChinaski]

I hear there's a good dollar to be made in pool repairs, too.

[jahaims]

Because the dollar will collapse if we don't force everyone to trade oil in the dollar