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The Case for Enhancing US Military Might

Off the top of my head, what the US military could use is uprgade to our cruise missile inventories (our largest stockpiled cruise missile, the Tomahawk, is subsonic. I'd prefer to see a hyper-sonic, or at least supersonic, cruise missile in the US arsenal soon).

More ground based Air Defense systems would be nice; as an Army guy I'm not totally comfortable always relying on the Air Force for air cover.

A new CAS aircraft to replace the A-10.
 
That's because it's a stupid question.

No it isn't Jack. The US military is vastly bloated and is already at least twice the size necessary.

4A8078449E794DFB8CC33ADD00A6F1AF.jpg

No wonder your country cannot afford a decent public health service given the magnitude of your profligate military expenditures represent well over half your tax take :(
 
Europe has almost zero logistics reach and only rudimentary battle space intel capability.

China's inventory is upgrading rapidly.

China is no threat whatsoever to the US (except perhaps economically) . I certainly cannot say the reverse however
 
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No it isn't Jack. The US military is vastly bloated and is already at least twice the size necessary.

View attachment 67213947

No wonder your country cannot afford a decent public health service given the magnitude of your profligate military expenditures represent well over half your tax take :(

I think you need to double check your facts. Defense is only about 16% of the total budget. Health care is at about 28%.

And a big part of why our defense budget is as high as it is is because of the fact that we pay our soldiers well and take care of them. What do you think would happen to China's budget if they paid both their soldiers as well as the people developing and building their equipment as much as we do.
 
I think you need to double check your facts. Defense is only about 16% of the total budget. Health care is at about 28%.

Nonsense. No other developed society spends nearly as large a proportion of their fiscal budget on the military as the US does

pres_budg_disc_spending_pie.jpg

And a big part of why our defense budget is as high as it is is because of the fact that we pay our soldiers well and take care of them.

And others don't ?

What do you think would happen to China's budget if they paid both their soldiers as well as the people developing and building their equipment as much as we do.

You spend over twice as much of your GDP on your military as China does and it now represents 44% of the entire global spending on armaments. This is a far higher proprtion than at the height of the cold war and you can say what you like about the threats being faced today. They are nothing compared to the threat the USSR once represented
 
No it isn't Jack. The US military is vastly bloated and is already at least twice the size necessary.

View attachment 67213947

No wonder your country cannot afford a decent public health service given the magnitude of your profligate military expenditures represent well over half your tax take :(

Actually, defense is not even close to half, and there are a lot of support services for allies in that total.

[h=3]2017 United States Budget Estimate - The US Federal Budget[/h]federal-budget.insidegov.com/l/120/2017-Estimate



The U.S. government is estimated to collect $3.21T in tax revenues and spend a total of $3.65T in its2017 budget, resulting in a deficit of $443B. The deficit is ...
 
China is no threat whatsoever to the US (except perhaps economically) . I certainly cannot say the reverse however

[h=3]How Great a Security Threat Is China to the United States? - The Atlantic[/h]https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/...china-threat.../394988/



Jun 4, 2015 - by Peter Beinart, arguing that China is the “biggest threat” to U.S. national ... China has encountered more strategic resistance (yes, even ...

[h=3]Russia and China pose largest security threats, says US military report ...[/h]https://www.theguardian.com › US News › US military
Jul 1, 2015 - America's new military strategy singles out states like China and Russia as aggressive and threatening to US security interests, while warning ...
 
Actually, defense is not even close to half, and there are a lot of support services for allies in that total.

2017 United States Budget Estimate - The US Federal Budget

federal-budget.insidegov.com/l/120/2017-Estimate


The U.S. government is estimated to collect $3.21T in tax revenues and spend a total of $3.65T in its2017 budget, resulting in a deficit of $443B. The deficit is ...

Really ? Check out where your discretionary spending really goes

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/campaigns/military-spending-united-states/
 
[h=3]How Great a Security Threat Is China to the United States? - The Atlantic[/h]https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/...china-threat.../394988/



Jun 4, 2015 - by Peter Beinart, arguing that China is the “biggest threat” to U.S. national ... China has encountered more strategic resistance (yes, even ...

[h=3]Russia and China pose largest security threats, says US military report ...[/h]https://www.theguardian.com › US News › US military
Jul 1, 2015 - America's new military strategy singles out states like China and Russia as aggressive and threatening to US security interests, while warning ...

Chinese defence spending is around 2% of GDP and has been for 30 years. Its spending on defence has risen because its economic base has increased it is still 2% of GDP and is roughly the average globally.

If the Chinese had any real pretentions about challenging the US militarily its spending would be a darned sight more than 2%
 
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Discretionary spending is only about one third of US expenditures. Thank you for making my point.

If you halved your military budget it is probable you could afford a proper health service like those seen in other developed nations and still be far and away the most powerful military nation on earth.

US militarism is the greatest threat the world faces if Iraq and Afghanistan are anything to go by. You have to find some justification for the expenditures on this vast war machine, hence the current talking up of the phantom Chinese menace

It looks though like the Chinese are not about to engage in the arms race with you that you would undoubtedly like. They are winning the economic war and thats the one they know they can and will win
 
Chinese defence spending is around 2% of GDP and has been for 30 years. Its spending on defence has risen because its economic base has increased it is still 2% of GDP and is roughly the average globally.

If the Chinese had any real pretentions about challenging the US militarily its spending would be a darned sight more than 2%

Apples & oranges. Personnel and many goods/services that are expensive in the US are cheap or free in China.
 
If you halved your military budget it is probable you could afford a proper health service like those seen in other developed nations and still be far and away the most powerful military nation on earth.

US militarism is the greatest threat the world faces if Iraq and Afghanistan are anything to go by. You have to find some justification for the expenditures on this vast war machine, hence the current talking up of the phantom Chinese menace

It looks though like the Chinese are not about to engage in the arms race with you that you would undoubtedly like. They are winning the economic war and thats the one they know they can and will win

I'll take US health care as is, thanks. And no, if we halved our military budget our friends and allies would be the first to find the world a more difficult place. Iraq was a questionable decision. No apologies for Afghanistan: that was self-defense in response to aggression.

The Chinese are at present provoking confrontation in the South China Sea.
 
Apples & oranges. Personnel and many goods/services that are expensive in the US are cheap or free in China.

I seem to remember the hawks in the US saying that about the USSR too once upon a time. Unlike with China it made the mistake of trying to militarily compete with the US. The Chinese are clearly not going to make that same mistake so your one sided arms race is going to be costly and highly counter productive one for you. It will simply accelerate your economic demise
 
I seem to remember the hawks in the US saying that about the USSR too once upon a time. Unlike with China it made the mistake of trying to militarily compete with the US. The Chinese are clearly not going to make that same mistake so your one sided arms race is going to be costly and highly counter productive one for you. It will simply accelerate your economic demise

It was true about the USSR too. The accuracy of our analysis was key to our Cold War victory. The Chinese are already competing. As for our demise, don't hold your breath.
 
It was true about the USSR too. The accuracy of our analysis was key to our Cold War victory. The Chinese are already competing. As for our demise, don't hold your breath.

Well I'm 56 now and I expect the Chinese to overtake the US economically within my lifetime for the reasons already outlined. They are also in a far stronger position economically than the USSR ever was allowing them to do so. Squandering vast sums militarily competing with the US is never going to happen because they don't need it to.
 
Well I'm 56 now and I expect the Chinese to overtake the US economically within my lifetime for the reasons already outlined. They are also in a far stronger position economically than the USSR ever was allowing them to do so. Squandering vast sums militarily competing with the US is never going to happen because they don't need it to.

The Chinese face the same kinds of structural challenges that brought down the USSR. It's entirely possible China's economy will one day be larger than that of the US. To which the response is: so what?
 
Well I'm 56 now and I expect the Chinese to overtake the US economically within my lifetime for the reasons already outlined. They are also in a far stronger position economically than the USSR ever was allowing them to do so. Squandering vast sums militarily competing with the US is never going to happen because they don't need it to.

[h=3]China's military and naval buildup in South China Sea threatens the US[/h]www.cnbc.com/.../chinas-military-and-naval-buildup-in-south-china-sea-threatens-the...



Oct 13, 2015 - As China continues to pour billions into its massive military buildup, a pressing concern is its territorial ambitions in the South China Sea.
 
The Chinese face the same kinds of structural challenges that brought down the USSR.

I disagree the scenario today is quite different

It's entirely possible China's economy will one day be larger than that of the US. To which the response is: so what?

So you don't care if it happens sooner rather than later ?

China's military and naval buildup in South China Sea threatens the US ?

I'd say the reverse was true. Its the US thats itching for conflict in this region not China
 
I disagree the scenario today is quite different



So you don't care if it happens sooner rather than later ?

China's military and naval buildup in South China Sea threatens the US ? I'd say the reverse was true. Its the US thats itching for conflict in this region not China

What will happen will happen. In the South China Sea it's the Chinese staking claims (rejected by the International Court) and trying to intimidate neighbors. It's the US upholding freedom of navigation to the applause of the other coastal states. The US has done nothing that has not been reasonable and customary for decades.
 
What will happen will happen. In the South China Sea it's the Chinese staking claims (rejected by the International Court) and trying to intimidate neighbors. It's the US upholding freedom of navigation to the applause of the other coastal states. The US has done nothing that has not been reasonable and customary for decades.

Nonsense. The US is spoiling for a fight and would love to engineer another Tonkin Gulf incident to precipitate it no doubt. I think the Chinese have shown admirable restraint over disgraceful US regional provocations to date and for the sake of all of us I hope they keep doing so in the future

Just imagine what would happen if the Chinese were doing the same thing off the US west coast ? I doubt you would be quite as conciliatory then
 
Nonsense. The US is spoiling for a fight and would love to engineer another Tonkin Gulf incident to precipitate it no doubt. I think the Chinese have shown admirable restraint over disgraceful US regional provocations to date and for the sake of all of us I hope they keep doing so in the future

Just imagine what would happen if the Chinese were doing the same thing off the US west coast ? I doubt you would be quite as conciliatory then

The Chinese do in fact steam off the US west coast, as well as the east coast, as do the Russians, for that matter. They have every right to do so in international waters. The South China Sea is international water, China's judicially rejected imperial claims notwithstanding. The US is doing nothing more than exercising the right of innocent passage in international waters.
 
The Chinese do in fact steam off the US west coast, as well as the east coast, as do the Russians, for that matter. They have every right to do so in international waters. The South China Sea is international water, China's judicially rejected imperial claims notwithstanding. The US is doing nothing more than exercising the right of innocent passage in international waters.

Yeah with its carrier battle groups just permanently there for a spot of R & R right ? :roll:

How many of these 'allegedly threatened' nations have asked the US to do this ?

On the contrary some food for thought......

https://sputniknews.com/politics/201610201046548768-philippines-us-russia/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...erview-president-ma-ying-jeou-china/18404515/
 
Yeah with its carrier battle groups just permanently there for a spot of R & R right ? :roll:

How many of these 'allegedly threatened' nations have asked the US to do this ?

On the contrary some food for thought......

https://sputniknews.com/politics/201610201046548768-philippines-us-russia/

Exclusive: Taiwan president seeks closer China ties

Every last one welcomes US Navy port calls as a way to encourage operations in the area. I believe four US Navy ships are now based in Singapore.
 
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