the US defense budget is, in effect, the premium we pay yearly for “Global Nuclear War Insurance”.

That’s as true as the one about billionaires being “job creators” 🙄

This prevents open/total war between superpowers, and also has a suppressive effect even on larger non-superpower nations.

More ridiculous propaganda. The US military prevents war in the same way as tornados prevent strong winds.

And if you think our defense budget is inflated now, heaven help you if a near peer conflict actually would break out

So what you’re saying is that spending as much as the 20 next countries wouldn’t be enough to fight ONE of those? Sounds awfully wasteful.

Basically we pay a lot, year in and year out so that we don’t have to deal with war time spending

Something like a single decade total HASN’T been war time for the 250 years the country has existed.

and of course all the death and destruction as well.

Except for those millions of pesky foreigners that of course have it coming 🙄

You’re free to not like that, of course, but like I said, I’m 100% good with it.

Because you’ve swallowed their lies hook, line and sinker.