The US spent roughly $730 billion on defense last year. Some estimates place the figure at over $1T when all security-related expenses are added in. These sums beg the question: What’s the right amount?
America has the world’s most powerful military. America’s investments in personnel, training, equipment, and research are second-to-none. However, America also now has a debt roughly equal to its GDP. Of course, one would be correct in saying that entitlements consume the largest portion of our budget, and interest on the debt takes another huge chunk. Nonetheless, America spends as much on defense as the next ten top-spending countries combined. Of course, one would be correct in saying that America has more strategic commitments than any other country in the world and these commitments require large military expenditures. But when do we unwind from some of them? President Trump has already asked NATO members to pay more for their own defense but with minimal success. How long will prosperous South Korea rely on the US for its defense?
Military strength is one of four leadership power sources; however, military strength alone is not enough to remain the world leader. Military strength, wealth, population, and foreign reach all work together to create leadership power. Increasing one at the expense of another begins a downward spiral—several countries in Early Modern Europe learned this the hard way.
The US needs to look at military spending strategically—as part of a bigger picture. Then it can better understand what the right amount is. Bottom-up budgeting will nearly always overspend. This in turn leads to more borrowing, which is something our kids will have live with while trying to pay for their own defense.
Reference:
“Why Does the US Spend So Much on Defense?” Defense One, 26 Jan 2020, accessed from https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2020/01/why-does-us-spend-so-much-defense/162657/
Sebastian Springer, “Sphere of Influence: US Military budget drives arming of the West,” Defense News, 15 Feb 2019, accessed from https://www.defensenews.com/smr/munich-security-conference/2019/02/15/sphere-of-influence-us-military-budget-drives-arming-of-the-west/
William D Hartung and Mandy Smithberger, “America’s Defense Budget is Bigger Than You Think,” The Nation, 7 May 2019, accessed from https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/tom-dispatch-america-defense-budget-bigger-than-you-think/
Photo: Peterson Foundation
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