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

It doesn’t get talked about in the same terms, but Foreign Aid budgets are at least to some extent a form of defensive spending. No one wants to attack you if you’re helping to keep their bellies full.