Percent of GNP has nothing to do with it.
Again, Russia has a much smaller military budget. They are able to further their national interests with that.
Our problem is that we waste our military budget. We cannot do half the job with 10 times the budget if we have widespread rent seeking, political generals, cheating contractors, and social engineering.
If you increase the military budget before fixing the military it’s money down a rathole.
500 billion plus annually ought to buy us an effective fighting force. That it doesn’t is BS.
Where does the money go that they have now? Nobody knows.
Go RUN FOR OFFICE and fix it then. Otherwise you just sound like a whiner.
I’m willing to accept the fact that there will always be $800 toilet seats, etc. and simply move on from there...just as Reagan and FDR did when it was necessary.