Military spending
Take a moment and think about the resources used by our military compared to countries we compete with in the global economy. The US military budget for this year is 995 Billion Dollars, higher than the next 8 countries combined, including China, Russia, Israel, Ukraine, Japan, and others.
Recently another 200 Billion was requested to cover the cost of the Iran war. Add to that 441 Billion for Veteran Affairs, and 118 Billion in Foreign Military Aid, money given to countries to buy US weapons, total military budgeted expense this year alone 1,754 Trillion Dollars.
The US operates approximately 800 overseas military bases, each with a military structure and heirarchy of officers regardless of the military necessity of the posting. For reference China has six, most other countries have postings in former colonial or occupied locations such as France, Russia or the UK, but the numbers are small.
Are we stronger, more secure, better positioned for the future compared to other nations who spend their money on biotechnology, robotics, AI, quantum computing, green energy sources. We have an aging population, we lack support for child care, we reduce the number of people who have access to health care. After the money spent on Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Iran, isn’t time to take moment and ask, are we using our resources on the things that truly make us safe and leads to a more secure future.