The military budget of the United States of America has long been of an immense amount. For example, according to the data mentioned in the article from Scientific American, the annual spending on arms, army maintenance, and social aid for veterans constitute $826 billion (Negin, 2020, para. 3). This number exceeds the overall expenses in the other ten countries listed as the most budget-spending in terms of the military (Negin, 2020, para. 3).
Apparently, furious debates arise on the matter of the soundness of such consumption of the state resources. Some people argue that the money spent on the army and other military necessities could fund healthcare, welfare, and educational institutions. However, reducing the funds for the military may cause negative consequences for the U. S. and the global economy and provoke various casualties among the functional army divisions.
The U. S. economy gains its stability partially due to military sales. As recent statistics assert, the American export of arms constitutes nearly forty percent of the global defense market (Mehta, 2021). The weapons produced in the U. S. are used in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Australia, and the country itself (Mehta, 2021). Such a high level of contribution indicates that income from the sales composes a large part of the state budget. Accordingly, the budget reduction would intervene in the production of trades on which the economy of the U. S. is relying. As a result, a crisis may emerge after manufacturers of the army and weapons production’ supplies would lose their consumers. Hence, lessening the number of military expenses can stimulate an unstable situation in the country.
Furthermore, the military force guarantees the stability of the global economy and free trade. As such, the U. S. troops and arms sold to various counties assure the security of trade roots. For instance, according to an article from Forbes, the presence of a navy near the Suez canal is essential both for Egyptians and Europeans (Hart, 2021). This root has long been a profitable and convenient path for worldwide trade that strengthens international relationships and enlarges the wealth of multiple states.
However, Somali and ISIS pirates tend to interrupt the shipping process (Hart, 2021). Even such a negligible intervention in economic matters may negatively impact trade in various regions of the world. Moreover, the modern economy is interconnected, so the difficulties in several areas can result in a disaster on a global scale. Thus, the U. S. military is essential for keeping a balanced and safe economic environment in the world.
Finally, the rapid reduction of military expenses can be damaging to the army’s performance. Namely, the lowered budget would not possibly be equal to the lowered responsibilities of the soldiers. Instead, the lack of resources can spur a surge of accidents due to the multiple tasks of the army. The officers would be not only less productive but tired and unattentive as well. Therefore, the reduced budget may cause misfortunate events in the military or even deaths.
To conclude, the military is an integral part of the American economy, which could not be funded less. A reduction of expenses would influence the production in the U. S. since the state is highly dependent on the sales of arms. Furthermore, the global economy is threatened by various issues which military forces can prevent. Additionally, the lessening of the budget for maintenance of the army can be adverse for the lives of people serving there.
References
Hart, R. (2021). Shipping companies stuck near Suez are reportedly alerting U.S. Navy over āPiracy risks.ā Forbes. Web.
Mehta, A. (2021). US increases dominance of global arms exports. Defense News. Web.
Negin, E. (2020). Itās time to rein in inflated military budgets. Scientific American. Web.