Comment on 'We can’t sit back and watch’: Former MI6 boss says Britain must get ready for war as Putin threatens Europe

• Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  @WizardOfLoneliness

  The U.S. spends ~3.4% of its GDP for military.

  source

  • BobDole@hexbear.net ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    The United States Spends More on Defense than the Next 9 Countries Combined

    pgpf.org/…/the-united-states-spends-more-on-defen…

    source

    • Uniformly9@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Reminder that percentages are different to absolute values. The percentage can be a strong indicator of a nation’s values.

      source

      • BobDole@hexbear.net ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Reminder that percentages are different to absolute values. The percentage can be a strong indicator of a nation’s values.

        smuglord

        You thought you were really cooking with that.

        Reminder that GDP is not a natural force, but a measurement of capital’s performance and was invented to argue for lower taxes on landlords. The accepted GDP values are just what each country reports, and can be easily artificially inflated, especially by governments like the United States that includes not only rent, but also a fake rent that homeowners pay to themselves.

        GDP is not a neutral measurement, but is deliberately defined to benefit capital at the expense of labor. Percentage of government budget could be a better comparison between countries than absolute values, but the absolute value is also important to understand.

        With that in mind, government spending and private investment can be indicators of a nation’s values: like that America values murdering non-white children more than it values feeding its own children and that Britain and Europe are sick of feeding their children and want to invest more in the child murdering.

        source