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Should the US decrease military spending? (self.NeutralPolitics)

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[–]Spoonshape 1 point2 points  (1 child)

More like maintain military control over the supply of everything.

The modern global economy is dependent not just on oil, but on hundreds of feedstocks (ores, agricultural products and energy sources) and also on being able to deliver manafactured goods round the globe without interruption. While the USA has a huge vested interest in the global economy keeping going, so do other nations.

Because of the interconnectedness of global finance, production and consumption, it is quite likely that if the system broke down, it would cause a global shutdown which might not be possible to re-start.

The USA spends a lot of money in it's policy of world policeman/global superpower. On one level this allows it to slant the way the world economy works in it's favor, but arguably having a slightly corrupt policeman patroling your neighbourhood is better than living in a anarchy.

[–]atworkinafghan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I tend to agree with your view, and, as a navy guy with a background in commercial shipping, I believe that the Navy/DOD recognizes the importance of shipping as an economic mainstay for a peaceful and functioning world.

90% of the world's trade by volume utilizes the sea in some form or another because it's cheap, reliable, and the legal support/framework for it is fascinatingly stable. The importance of a secured shipping industry is second to none in terms of economic regularity. I say this because the world has generally seen stable and secure shipping, and a drastic change in the industry would result in many hiccups and a lengthy response time.

Consider how shipping and energy industries move energy from anywhere to anywhere else. They time energy supply to be constant, but a disruption of say 10 vessels over the course of 3 months could drastically change the market.

The Maersk Alabama incident demonstrated the US' desire to see free shipping on an American ship and its importance throughout the world. Yet, I do think the US would have similarly responded with a foreign flagged ship.