Regarding your US spending question. We have been spending around 5% of our military budget to destroy and degrade about 50% of Russia’s. Much of the military supplies we have been sending are older items that we would have had to decommission and dispose of which are now being used for their original purpose—opposing Russian aggression in Europe. Russia is now using up much older items of their large stocks. For example their 50 year old tanks, and even older.
Meanwhile we are now employing more of our people in produce new and better items which we should have been doing all along. Unfortunately, the Peace Dividend which so many of us in many countries had hoped for has proven to be an illusion. Alas, human nature has not changed, and there will always be someone somewhere who has visions of being the ruler of the world, or at least of large chunks of it. Putin has been inspired by a political theorist named Alexander Dugin who has been called “Putin’s Brain” to take over all of Europe, destroy the Atlantic Alliance (US and Europe), and influence or control the rest of the world. Google Dugin and look for his book published in 1997, which if you go back in time you will find is about when Putin began increasing his dictatorial behavior and subsequent plans to attack Ukraine in 2014.
A number of European countries have already responded to Trump’s words about spending 3% of their economy on military defense. Poland is certainly one, and the Baltic states, the most recent recipients of Russian “democracy” as well. Our own expenditures in military needs are also at around the 3% level. Does Trump plan to increase our production to the 5% level? He might be planning that, or he might be planning to sell more to our European allies. He might even be planning to invest a lot in Ukraine, which has shown amazing, Silicon Valley level, creativity in new less expensive ways of discouraging enemies. There are even reports that at recent military trade shows, the Russian products have not received the level of interest they once enjoyed. Trump’s main experience has been “The Art of the Deal” in real estate, perhaps he plans to expand on this expertise.
Is Poland at 5%?
Very good post, so many who talk about “cost” fail to understand that much of the equipment is surplus and other systems are being retired and will become surplus.
The cost to dispose of these items is quite high
I am saying that we as a country have not spent billions, we have, but the numbers being thrown around are not an accurate picture of the actual monetary expense
the Peace Dividend which so many of us in many countries had hoped for has proven to be an illusion.
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Peace Dividend? So Bush I, 45 year old concept that did not work then and clinging to it now is ... well ...