The Numbers
The US spends 37% of all global military spending.
The US represents 4.4% of the world's population.
Some people think these numbers don't match up, but that's because they don't understand how percentages work. When you have 4.4% of something, the mathematically correct amount of military spending is obviously 37%. It's just science.
What This Means
You spend more on weapons than the next eight countries combined. Most of those countries are your allies. Some are not even countries that exist anymore on this chart.
This is called "being thorough." If you're going to outspend someone, you might as well outspend them so hard they stop existing as a country. That's just good follow-through.
World military spending totals $1.6 trillion per year. You account for $600 billion of that.
For comparison, the entire GDP of Switzerland is $700 billion. You spend almost as much on the military as Switzerland makes doing everything.
Switzerland makes chocolate, watches, and provides banking services to dictators. You make aircraft carriers. Both are valid economic strategies.
The math is simple. You have 4.4% of the world's people and spend 37% of the world's military budget. Either your military is protecting eight times more than your share of humanity, or your spending is roughly eight times what it needs to be.
There is a third option: you could spend a normal amount and use the savings for literally anything else. But before you criticize military spending, try spending $700 billion yourself. It's harder than it sounds. Where would you even keep that much money? You'd need at least three really big rooms.
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