With a severe recruitment crisis and lackluster scores for readiness and capacity, all three major branches of the US armed forces are lagging behind Russia and China
I’m skeptical of this narrative. More or less constantly this comes out as an excuse to increase military spending. Citation Needed’s episode 117 “always lagging us war machine” goes into detail. The fact that the heritage foundation is peddling this particular instance is solid evidence.
Well, most of the time that’s true. It’s a call for the government to spend another 100 billion dollars on 5000 dollar trash cans and like, 3 planes.
But there really is a gaping weakness right now, in a more mundane way, one they don’t like to advertise much. The US has burned through a massive amount of their munitions stockpile, and the suppliers they use to replenish it are honestly terrible at making things lol. US productive capacity for the actual fundamental tools of war have been hollowed out by capitalistic grifting.
I’m skeptical of this narrative. More or less constantly this comes out as an excuse to increase military spending. Citation Needed’s episode 117 “always lagging us war machine” goes into detail. The fact that the heritage foundation is peddling this particular instance is solid evidence.
Well, most of the time that’s true. It’s a call for the government to spend another 100 billion dollars on 5000 dollar trash cans and like, 3 planes.
But there really is a gaping weakness right now, in a more mundane way, one they don’t like to advertise much. The US has burned through a massive amount of their munitions stockpile, and the suppliers they use to replenish it are honestly terrible at making things lol. US productive capacity for the actual fundamental tools of war have been hollowed out by capitalistic grifting.