Can’t say I’m better than the current Idiot In Chief, but how many other CVBGs are out there? How many operational SSNs? The USN has 900+ modern combat aircraft available - how many foreign air forces are that big? (Actually, if the USN got into a shooting war, I’d be more worried about the missile stocks; do we have enough missiles and PGMs to sustain combat?)
BTW, in 1940 we were starting a build up for WWII. We were not in it yet, but FDR was getting ready. And, despite those inadequate budgets, we managed to keep a fleet BBs operational, build the CVs that got us through the first part of WWII, and stock them with the latest in the fighters (F4F Wildcats) and dive bombers (SBD Dautlesses); we were a bit behind on torpedo bombers - the Devastator was a death trap, but the Avenger was actually in the works. Personally, I’d be looking at around 1929 for GDP share, but keeping an eye on potential rivals.
Yes, entitlements are bloating the budget. I would LOVE it if someone could tell me how to make them go away, or at least significantly cut them, but I don’t see a way to end or cut them There are too many soft heads and bleeding hearts out there who want to practice charity using somebody else’s time and money.
As I said, everybody will have to take a hit. If it were me, I’d cut ALL budgets by 40% (or whatever it took to balance the budget) and let them sort it out. THEN I’d get out the red pen and start zeroing stuff out (There are entire Bureaus and Departments I think should be zeroed out...). But it isn’t going to happen.
On this date in 1942, we were down to one operational carrier in the South Pacific, the rest were on the bottom. We were hanging on by our teeth in Guadalcanal. We barely controlled the air and sea in the Solomons. That was the price of unpreparedness.
Fortunately, we had gotten lucky in a few places, and had been damned good in others. We had stopped the Japanese and would never turn back. We were learning the hard way that our damned torpedoes didn’t work. The limitations of our radar and the lack of night training had cost us badly against the IJN in night actions. We had already forfeited the Philippines because we weren’t ready.
We saw it again in Korea, after all we won WWII, no need for that pesky military spending. We were firing 1952 era mortar and artillery ammunition in Vietnam. Some of it didn’t work so very good. The price of freedom, the price of freedom. It gets higher every time we get complacent.
If it were up to you, I’d have to start learning Arabic and figuring out the direction to Mecca. I don’t want to do that.
Seriously, the problem with your analysis is that we are the sole truly world power in the world. Other countries have the luxury of being regional forces with only one ocean, a few borders, and a couple of enemies to worry about. We get the whole ball of wax, and if we quit doing it, the whole system will collapse like the Roman Empire.