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President Trump has proposed a $54 billion increase in defense spending, which he said would be "one of the largest increases in national defense spending in American history."
Past administrations have increased military spending, but typically to fulfil a specific mission. Jimmy Carter expanded operations in the Persian Gulf. Ronald Reagan pursued an arms race with the Soviet Union, and George W. Bush waged wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mr. Trump has not articulated a new mission that would require a military spending increase. This has left analysts wondering what goals he has in mind. Erin M. Simpson, a national security consultant, called Mr. Trump's plans "a budget in search of a strategy."
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/03/22/us/is-americas-military-big-enough.html
Donald J. Trump - Military Readiness Remarks
[Related]: 2017 Outlook for Navy Shipbuilding
What do you think about the proposed increase in military spending ? Does USA really need more weapons ?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by MostCynical on Saturday March 25 2017, @12:05AM (2 children)
fundamentally, large countries have yet to decide what their military is *for*. Many will say "the next war", but no one can agree where that will happen, and if it is urban warfare, most country's miltaries are hopeless at fighting guerrillas.
"Defence" is a term that is bandied about, when most countries (UK, US, Germany, even Australia) have sent military forces to invade, blockade, or run "peace missions" and "democracy creation" (East Timor being the only on I can think of that worked in my life time).
Further, the US hides alot of its employment problems in the military (have to find the figures, but I remember reading the US government was spending a fortune on childcare and education within the military - great for keeping the poor off the streets, not so good for actual "defence". Hiding your welfare spending like that seems to work for hard right types, though)
So - what is the army, navy, air force, marine corp, SAS, for?
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 25 2017, @12:55AM
It's for buying F-35s. Without our military, the F-35 market would collapse! Oh the humanity!
(Score: 2) by jmorris on Saturday March 25 2017, @02:38AM
What a military is for is easy. At root it is dead simple; You invest in a military or whoever replaces your defective civilization will.
The question of what threats to build your military around and the related questions of what equipment you should have, what sort of combat to train for are very much in flux currently.
And yes, once you have a large force of men with extensive capabilities beyond simple shooting at other large forces of men there are many uses you can put them to in the, hopefully long, periods of peace. Just remember what their primary purpose is and do not neglect military readiness. See above.