Defense expenditures are a significant cost for most large
countries around the world. In 2011, the U.S. defense budget is
estimated to be a whopping $895 billion. Some nations have spent
much less on defense than other industrialized countries,
relatively speaking. Japan, for instance, spent $51.81 billion
in 2009. This low defense spending has historically served them
well, as more money was available to fund productive projects
enabling the Japanese to prosper since World War II. However,
the risk of decreased defense spending cannot be overstated.
Freedom, liberty, democracy and human rights are protected by
military might. Defense spending is not productive economically.
Money spent on fighter jets and bullets is not available for
housing and food for the needy. So, aside from the diplomatic
and moral issues surrounding an act of war, leaders should
consider how much they could afford to spend in an actual
military operation before jumping into it. During the past 10
years, U.S. defense expenditures coup