The United States spent $877 billion on its military in 2022, nearly 40% of the global total, 10 times more than Russia ($86.4 billion), and three times more than China ($292 billion).
I saw the stats some weeks ago and I was pretty impress by the proportions.
But I think that you guys should also add that American war industries make up a big chuck of GDP in USA and this is the first reason they keep starting new wars, Coups, proxy or not.
The second reason is that since the bloody new century (the one where all the hopes were destroyed by Bush & The Gang) wars are made to cover up huge economical problems, recessions. If you were old enough in 2001 you could remember that, as now or a year ago, we were at the edge of e new recession, all financial news were talking about that risk. But then magically Nazi Bush et al, came up with 9/11 then Afghanistan and Iraq wars.... Et voillà!
So USA has always a war in its hat instead of a rabbit...
P.S.
Lehman Bros and Co could have failed some years before 2007/8 if there was no 9/11.... remember, remember the 11 September!
Absolutely. War is a solution, not to get out of the chronic economic crisis (which is systemic), but to continue to enrich those who finance the campaigns of the two major parties that share power and its revenues.
And there is also the propaganda that is in full swing. I just read the article "U.S. and Ukraine: sending arms or twisting arms?" on Foreign Policy in Focus. It's so misleading, so obsequious to the White House and the Pentagon, that it's sickening.
look how they dropped the "chords" played 24/7 on the propaganda screens from the last 20 year war cycle.....they just dropped that "fear vector" cold turkey. we had a one year psyche "refractory" period (as in sex). Now for the next 20 year orgy. It's satanic. The dirty war has kicked up: white v black. immigration snakes swarms. abortion. be prepared for ~20+ years of THIS!
Problem is really Propaganda, all old media and net giants are Pentagon assets, from Fakebook to Scroogle and Twitter before Musk (will see how this one will evolve).
I mean Covid was the general rehearsal for the next 10 years. Problem is that in Eurasia is not much different.
there's a management structure orchestrating this propaganda, and given that the manipulation is systemic, via both Fox and MSDNC sides for example, the decline of this "democracy" is being managed downward via the fake 2 party system.
as American empire implodes, these psychopaths will eat people outright within their borders. Right now it's just propaganda with a "few" mass shooting deaths. There's NOTHING remotely democratic about the current American set up, end to end, institutionally. It's all appearances and the equivalent of taking a "cute selfie". Vain. The people's voice means no-thing. IT's not even set up to curate genuine voices from below. Imagine these war hawks turn INWARD from eventual defeats!
All these expenses for what? For an army that has consistently lost every conflict in which it has been involved (except perhaps in Grenada) but believes itself to be the best army in the world. Hollywood and TV series sell the image of the best soldiers in the world, especially the Marines and the Special Forces. In reality, a series of retreats, with their tails down, and traumatized soldiers.
(For those who don't know, World War II was mostly won by the Soviet army. The American army faced a German army that had little to do with the one that had swept through the French army in May 1940. And yet, this exhausted army panicked the American command in the Ardennes. We could also come back to the Italian campaign where we cannot praise the American strategists, and I will throw a modest veil over the battle of the Pacific).
The American taxpayers pay the price of a Roll Royce, which turns out to be a cardboard cart.
well put. I go to my local drug store...all manner of inane capitalist "consumer pharmaceutical" goods are available: $20 for a 40 pack of aspirin! Hooray! $15 for a 3 day course of cough syrup! Hooray. And on this they want MORE inflation to hold up their stock prices.
And then gets other countries like Ukraine to fight its imperialist wars; and milks its 29 NATO members for billions more . Its called parasitism on steroids.
The word is Zelensky is going to get fired for losing his war.
Consider how much of that Pentagon military spending is WASTEFUL! E-CON-Omists already have a term for meaningless bloat in GDP: "Purchasing Power Parity". If the Pentagon thinks handing bundles of cash to corrupt delusional beltway power families is going to serve to "bring to heel" the global South.....think of "Purchasing Power Parity"! ....The beauty of Murica's logic is that they will ONLY SPEND MORE ON DEFENSE, WASTE MORE, and cut social spending MORE.
Not really. If spending large sums of money made one feel safer, then I should feel perfectly calm and at ease right after I get home from the grocery store or the gas station.
I saw the stats some weeks ago and I was pretty impress by the proportions.
But I think that you guys should also add that American war industries make up a big chuck of GDP in USA and this is the first reason they keep starting new wars, Coups, proxy or not.
The second reason is that since the bloody new century (the one where all the hopes were destroyed by Bush & The Gang) wars are made to cover up huge economical problems, recessions. If you were old enough in 2001 you could remember that, as now or a year ago, we were at the edge of e new recession, all financial news were talking about that risk. But then magically Nazi Bush et al, came up with 9/11 then Afghanistan and Iraq wars.... Et voillà!
So USA has always a war in its hat instead of a rabbit...
P.S.
Lehman Bros and Co could have failed some years before 2007/8 if there was no 9/11.... remember, remember the 11 September!
Absolutely. War is a solution, not to get out of the chronic economic crisis (which is systemic), but to continue to enrich those who finance the campaigns of the two major parties that share power and its revenues.
And there is also the propaganda that is in full swing. I just read the article "U.S. and Ukraine: sending arms or twisting arms?" on Foreign Policy in Focus. It's so misleading, so obsequious to the White House and the Pentagon, that it's sickening.
look how they dropped the "chords" played 24/7 on the propaganda screens from the last 20 year war cycle.....they just dropped that "fear vector" cold turkey. we had a one year psyche "refractory" period (as in sex). Now for the next 20 year orgy. It's satanic. The dirty war has kicked up: white v black. immigration snakes swarms. abortion. be prepared for ~20+ years of THIS!
Problem is really Propaganda, all old media and net giants are Pentagon assets, from Fakebook to Scroogle and Twitter before Musk (will see how this one will evolve).
I mean Covid was the general rehearsal for the next 10 years. Problem is that in Eurasia is not much different.
So the question is: where do we escape to? XD
there's a management structure orchestrating this propaganda, and given that the manipulation is systemic, via both Fox and MSDNC sides for example, the decline of this "democracy" is being managed downward via the fake 2 party system.
as American empire implodes, these psychopaths will eat people outright within their borders. Right now it's just propaganda with a "few" mass shooting deaths. There's NOTHING remotely democratic about the current American set up, end to end, institutionally. It's all appearances and the equivalent of taking a "cute selfie". Vain. The people's voice means no-thing. IT's not even set up to curate genuine voices from below. Imagine these war hawks turn INWARD from eventual defeats!
All these expenses for what? For an army that has consistently lost every conflict in which it has been involved (except perhaps in Grenada) but believes itself to be the best army in the world. Hollywood and TV series sell the image of the best soldiers in the world, especially the Marines and the Special Forces. In reality, a series of retreats, with their tails down, and traumatized soldiers.
(For those who don't know, World War II was mostly won by the Soviet army. The American army faced a German army that had little to do with the one that had swept through the French army in May 1940. And yet, this exhausted army panicked the American command in the Ardennes. We could also come back to the Italian campaign where we cannot praise the American strategists, and I will throw a modest veil over the battle of the Pacific).
The American taxpayers pay the price of a Roll Royce, which turns out to be a cardboard cart.
well put. I go to my local drug store...all manner of inane capitalist "consumer pharmaceutical" goods are available: $20 for a 40 pack of aspirin! Hooray! $15 for a 3 day course of cough syrup! Hooray. And on this they want MORE inflation to hold up their stock prices.
Meanwhile, the federal government is paying the banks' debts (see Michael Hudson or Pam and Russ Martens).
Hey, it's not like Dwight didn't warn us. The MIC is the scam that will probably get us all killed.
And then gets other countries like Ukraine to fight its imperialist wars; and milks its 29 NATO members for billions more . Its called parasitism on steroids.
The word is Zelensky is going to get fired for losing his war.
someone might call you anti-parasitic!
No mystery here: this is what empires do, especially ones in their death throes.
The best/worst saved for last: “These irregularities in the Pentagon's accounting are larger than the entire US economy.
The US Department of Defense has failed every audit it has ever tried.
Consider how much of that Pentagon military spending is WASTEFUL! E-CON-Omists already have a term for meaningless bloat in GDP: "Purchasing Power Parity". If the Pentagon thinks handing bundles of cash to corrupt delusional beltway power families is going to serve to "bring to heel" the global South.....think of "Purchasing Power Parity"! ....The beauty of Murica's logic is that they will ONLY SPEND MORE ON DEFENSE, WASTE MORE, and cut social spending MORE.
ha, ha, ha!
Not really. If spending large sums of money made one feel safer, then I should feel perfectly calm and at ease right after I get home from the grocery store or the gas station.