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Some would argue (not myself, just pointing it out), that every one of your interactions is made in freedom, which is made possible by a very large military spe
by kohanz 12y ago
Some would argue (not myself, just pointing it out), that every one of your interactions is made in freedom, which is made possible by a very large military spend.
- tankenmate 12y agoExcept that many other countries have freedom but don't spend anywhere near as much (absolute or per capita) on defence.
- WildUtah 12y agoForeign countries might or might not have freedom if the US were not subsidizing their security with expensive US military operations around the world. Some say the US screwed up so much under Bush it would have been better to loose the world without American protection, and Bush did do a terrible job. But we don't know either way. In any case, many other countries would pay more for military operations if the US paid less.
- crusso 12y agoThe flip side of that is that the USA has heavily subsidized the defenses of Europe and the rest of the world. Not that they've asked for it - but it's difficult to conceive that Europe would have escaped Hitler or the USSR's aggressions without a lot of military spending on their behalf by the USA.
- scott_karana 12y agoConversely, it's difficult to conceive that the United States would have gained independence over the UK without a lot of military spending on their behalf and direct military actions by the French.
- panzagl 12y agoWell, by the Bourbon monarchy in France.
- mod 12y agoWhat does that have to do with current US defense spending? Or was it just some kind of one-upmanship?
- k-mcgrady 12y agoWhat does WW2 have to do with current defence spending?
- ameister14 12y agoA lot, actually. Most of the European countries were so badly in debt at the end of it that it laid the foundations for the US's expanded sphere of influence, particularly as regards the Middle East and East Asia. It was also the first time that the United States had united completely with one global objective and accomplished it. It created a Global Bipolar system which ended up with unipolarity after the fall of the Soviet Union. Plus, it created the military industrial complex. So...a lot.
- yongjik 12y agoUS subsidizes the defense budgets of Norway and Saudi Arabia alike. Sure, some of these countries have great freedom, but I'm not convinced whether US military subsidy protects freedom or just the status quo.
- mcv 12y agoI don't see how the US military expenditure helps American freedom. Not only is it used to restrict freedoms of some other countries (admittedly sometimes it's restricting the freedom of governments that seek to restrict the freedom of their people, which could arguably be a good thing, but this isn't always the case), but hand-me-downs to the police are used to restrict the freedom of Americans themselves.