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

In olden times, there was no “defense”. There were “ministries of war”, “war budgets” and so on. But after 1945, countries of the world decided that war is Very Bad. So everyone switched to the politically correct synonym “defense”. It kinda sorta says “We do not want war, we really don’t, but if someone does, we’ll defend”.