John Buttrick writes from his Vermont Rocker in his Concord home: Minds Crossing. He can be reached at johndbuttrick@gmail.com.

News analysts fill the media with caution that our economy teeters on financial crisis and our democracy is under siege. Among the subjects contributing to the present fragility is one that is not often identified as a problem. It’s the militarization of our country.

The nation has succumbed to a military industrial complex, about which Eisenhower cautioned decades ago. Rachel N. Weber, writing for Britannica, states, “unlike other countries, during the first half of the 20th century, the United States shifted from weapons produced by publicly owned companies to private firms.”

To maintain a dependable supply chain, the United States military guarantees the profits of these private firms. Because of the lack of competition and because the budgeting process is often highly politicized, weapons systems are sometimes extremely expensive. Guaranteed profits result in fewer nonmilitary industries as skilled workers are attracted to high-paying employment with firms contracting with the military.

This dependency upon military industries has led to the United States now spending more on defense than the next 10 countries combined: $877 billion in 2021. Does the country need such an over expenditure for adequate security?

Another factor contributing to wasting money on the military industry, money that could support a strong economic civil society, is the amount the military spends on weapons that are design to explode, used only once. These expenditures go up in smoke, none of it returning in goods and services to enhance the wealth of the country and its citizens. In 2022, over $5 billion was committed to munitions. For example, each Patriot missile costs $4.28 million. One Standard missile costs $7.2 million. And a Hellfire missile cost $102,000. Also, the comptroller of the Defense Department reports that “our forces are backstopped by a safe, secure and reliable nuclear deterrent by investing $34.4 billion to recapitalize the nuclear triad and support nuclear command, control, and communications systems.” We do not need to blow up our economy and natural resources in these ways.

Also, these explosive munitions are only a small percentage of the expense for the rest of military equipment, military exercises, and daily defense strategies. For example, the Military Times reports, it costs $22,531 for a one-hour flight of the cheapest armed fixed-wing plane in the entire Pentagon fleet. A supersonic F.16 combat jet flight costs about $4,500-$5,500 per hour, and an F.15 or F.22 can cost up to $30,000-$40,000 per hour. These examples contribute to the total expenditure of the nation’s land, sea, and air military that drain U.S. economic and democracy health. In addition, imagine the wasted natural resources and the impact upon the environment.

A militarized county robs citizens of more than financial and material resources. A self-declared democratic society loses its credibility, dignity, and self-respect when its primary identity to the world of nations is as a super militarized state. It is an embarrassment to be known for maintaining a democracy with overwhelming military power. Also, there is an irony in military life. In my first week of army basic training our company commander explained to us that as soldiers we gave up equality and democracy. Our military life would include a hierarchy of power and an obligation to follow orders. No votes. No debates. Military life demonstrates that force does not create a democracy. Witness the failed attempts in the Middle East and in Sudan, as examples.

It’s time for our nation to abandon its commitment to being a militaristic state. It’s time to be known as a democratic state that exists on trust in the collaboration of the people and the vote for competent leaders and just laws. That trust in democracy and demonstrating that democracy works need to become a major part of United States foreign policy. Many leaders and citizens believe expensive excessive militarization is a necessity for national security. However, other countries will feel less threatened, and therefore be less of a threat, if we reduce the size of our military.

Fewer countries will aspire to be nuclear weapons powers, such as North and South Korea, if the U.S. would refrain from updating and adding to its nuclear triad. Finally, a reduction in military expenditures; including fewer war planes, ships, tanks, and missiles; will release resources to be used to secure and enhance life in a democratic society. Such a choice may be mind-blowing for some people, but at least it is a choice to increase domestic resources that will not go up in smoke.

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