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

The war department’s name was changed, specifically, because it is easier to palette ‘defense’ spending, something noble and virtuous, than ‘war’ spending, something that is ignoble and violent. This is despite them being the exact same thing. We do it all the time, think of the Korean “police action” (war), or the Vietnam WAR, or the Iraq WAR, all of them had or have some watered down but somehow better sounding title. Operation “Iraqi Freedom”, rather than “Iraq War” and the like.

You can refer to the book “Manufacturing Consent” which delves into topics of language as it relates to manipulating public discourse.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent)