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US Military Spending Has Declined, But It Still Dwarfs All Other Nations’

American said:
I argued that there is nothing wrong with our defense budget, and that we have various treaties and national interests to uphold, that require our presence. You called us the World Police (de facto). You made the allegation, so prove it. Frankly I don't know what you're bitching about, defense is the #1 duty of the federal govt.
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The best evidence I have is we spend on "defense" more than the next 6-8 nations combined (estimates vary,) to operate over 600 overseas bases in 38 foreign nations, have military personnel of some kind in more than 150 foreign nations, and operate 10 aircraft carriers operating all over the planet just about all of the time. Since WWII alone we have spent more time in some phase or degree of conflict with someone (or someones, usually plural) than at peace often not even bothering to actually declare war in the Constitutional sense. Korean War, Cuba '61, Vietnam War, involvement in Lebanon, Panama '89-'90, Gulf War '90-'91, Somali Civil War, Haiti '94-'95, Bosnian War, War in Afghanistan, Iraq War, operations in Pakistan, fiasco in Libya, ISIS in Syria, drone strikes in many nations, the list goes on and I left a few out. We could then mention all of our intelligence operations all over the globe over and above military operations and stationing.

No matter if you want to split hairs on calling this the world's de facto police department or calling it "garrisoning our troops all over the world" or calling it some massive expansion of protecting our nation by getting involved in everyone else's business there is no other nation on the planet that does what we do to the extent we do it.

"Defense" of this nation is the #1 duty of the Federal Government... running around the planet spending more time in some phase of conflict than at peace is not written anywhere in the Constitution. I cannot think of a single founder that said "we need to run all over the globe and ensure the world bends to our will."
 
OrphanSlug said:
The best evidence I have is we spend on "defense" more than the next 6-8 nations combined (estimates vary,) to operate over 600 overseas bases in 38 foreign nations, have military personnel of some kind in more than 150 foreign nations, and operate 10 aircraft carriers operating all over the planet just about all of the time. Since WWII alone we have spent more time in some phase or degree of conflict with someone (or someones, usually plural) than at peace often not even bothering to actually declare war in the Constitutional sense. Korean War, Cuba '61, Vietnam War, involvement in Lebanon, Panama '89-'90, Gulf War '90-'91, Somali Civil War, Haiti '94-'95, Bosnian War, War in Afghanistan, Iraq War, operations in Pakistan, fiasco in Libya, ISIS in Syria, drone strikes in many nations, the list goes on and I left a few out. We could then mention all of our intelligence operations all over the globe over and above military operations and stationing.

No matter if you want to split hairs on calling this the world's de facto police department or calling it "garrisoning our troops all over the world" or calling it some massive expansion of protecting our nation by getting involved in everyone else's business there is no other nation on the planet that does what we do to the extent we do it.

"Defense" of this nation is the #1 duty of the Federal Government... running around the planet spending more time in some phase of conflict than at peace is not written anywhere in the Constitution. I cannot think of a single founder that said "we need to run all over the globe and ensure the world bends to our will."
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I already posted a chart that kills the logic of your "more than the next 6-8 nations combined" nonsense. Based on GDP we're not even in the top 3. Have a nice day.
 
American said:
I already posted a chart that kills the logic of your "more than the next 6-8 nations combined" nonsense. Based on GDP we're not even in the top 3. Have a nice day.
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And we have already demonstrated that GDP per capita skews the numbers, and clouds the argument.

We should also note you totally ignored the rest of the post.
 
OrphanSlug said:
And we have already demonstrated that GDP per capita skews the numbers, and clouds the argument.

We should also note you totally ignored the rest of the post.
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Only skewed against your argument. Works perfect when comparing against an actual economy.
 
CFZAqUVWIAA6Qqe.jpg:large


A nation with 4% of the world's population, produces 22% of the global GDP, and consumes 37% of all global military expenditures
 
OrphanSlug said:
And we have already demonstrated that GDP per capita skews the numbers, and clouds the argument.

We should also note you totally ignored the rest of the post.
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Not at all, and what other countries do is irrelevant anyway.
 
Simpleχity;1066394439 said:
CFZAqUVWIAA6Qqe.jpg:large


A nation with 4% of the world's population, produces 22% of the global GDP, and consumes 37% of all global military expenditures
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and has a debt of 20 trillion dollars, and decaying infrastructure, and more poverty than other advanced nations, and needs to be looking at its priorities.
 
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