In this handout image released by the South Korean Defense Ministry, U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers , F-22 fighter jets and South Korean Air Force F-35 fighter jets fly over South Korea Peninsula during a joint air drill on February 1, 2023 at an undisclosed location in South Korea.If you looked at the U.S. military budget without knowing otherwise, you’d probably guess we were in World War III.
Unlike a world war, there’s nothing happening today that can justify this level of spending. Even the war in Ukraine and the decimation of Gaza called for adding another $55 billion to the already-gargantuan Pentagon budget — supposedly justified by competition with China. But the U.S. military budget is alreadyagree that the military threat from the Chinese has been oversold. But whatever threats the U.S. faces, it should say something more troubling about the U.S.
Meanwhile, as another summer starts, we face growing bills for disaster relief from floods and heat waves to storms and wildfires. In a world where climate change is making these disasters more frequent, we have to start budgeting for those expenses and doing more to limit the damage by transitioning to renewable energy.