Eli5: Why is it that whenever we hear about “defense spending” it’s always on offensive things like weapons? Is there not a way to make actual defense the priority instead of offense?

Question

I could be missing the point about military spending, and the five-year-old in my head asking the question does just want forcefields over every country in the end.

In: Technology

Answer 1

If your mom wants the chores done, does she beat you with a shoe immediately, or does she first threaten to beat you with a shoe?

This is called “force projection” because you are *projecting* the *force* of your military without actually using it. It’s exactly like the force-field you envision, except it has a button that lets the field be extended past your own borders and into someone else’s territory. This is useful if you want to make them not only stop attacking you but also do other things like stop attacking your friend who doesn’t have a force-field of his own.