Despite being one world's most important economies, the United States has more military expenditures than any of our key allies. The Pentagon's overall military budget was $664billion in 2010. This included the costs associated with operations in Iraq/Afghanistan, as well other national security expenditures. However, the budget is only one part of the total military spending that must be considered. It also includes the non-military spending of the Departments of State, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs and other national security agencies.
The United States has always spent more defense money than its key allies, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. The Global War on Terror however has led to dramatic increases in defense spending. This is due to an increased demand for new combat abilities and the production of new technology.
Since the start of the war, the United States has spent over $6.4 trillion in total on the war. This includes funds for operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other areas. This is all included in the Department of Defense budget, which is estimated at $777 billion for fiscal year 2018. This budget includes money for other departments.
Over the next three-years, $179 billion will be spent by the United States on its nuclear arsenal. This includes money for research, development and maintenance of the weapons. These nuclear weapons increase the risk of a nuclear war and contribute to the current arms race. The Pentagon is also pursuing a plan to modernize the nuclear arsenal. This will include $1 trillion in spending over the next 30 years.
In addition to spending money on weapons, the United States must also reduce its civilian workforce. This will mean that less soldiers can afford to remain on military bases. It will also force the Pentagon to reduce its overall army. This could result in a loss of billions of purchasing power. The best case scenario is continuing resolution, which allows the Pentagon to spend money at the same level as the previous year. However, continuing resolution can also lead to mismanagement and waste.
In Afghanistan, the United States has also made billions of dollar investments. This investment led to the collapse of Afghanistan's government and the death of its army. Since 2001, the United States has spent approximately $2 trillion on Afghanistan's war.
Despite this, Congress failed to endorse a transformative 10-year plan. The package would have supported climate change and children as well as an increase in the middle class. Some signs are that policy makers are changing how they approach the issue.
There is also a need for greater transparency within the Pentagon. The Pentagon has consistently restricted access to records and budget plans, and has performed an internal study that revealed $125 billion in potential savings. However, the study was buried and has not been made public.
The United States currently has 150 nuclear weapons. These bombs have been around for more than 20 years. They are the main cause of the current arms race. They are also responsible for the danger of nuclear war.