military spending

World military spending

Shopping world military - according to the estimates published by Sipri il 29 April - passed i 1800 billions of dollars in 2018, with a increase in real terms of 76% compared to 1998.

According to that estimate, every minute they spend around the world 3,5 Millions of dollars in arms and armies.

To the first place are the United States with an expense in the 2018 of 649 billions. That figure represents the Pentagon's budget, understanding of war operations abroad, however, not the entire expense US military. In fact, other character entries are added military.

The Department of Veterans Affairs, which deals with the military at rest, had in the 2018 a budget of 180 billions of dollars.

The Community of intelligence, composed by 17 agencies (among which the best known is the Central Intelligence Agency), declares a budget of 81,5 billions, which, however, is only the tip of the real spending iceberg for covert operations.

The Homeland Security Department spent in the 2018 70 billions, above all to «protect with the secret service the our financial infrastructure and our highest leaders ".

The Department of Energy has spent 14 billions, corresponding to half of his budget, to maintain and modernize the arsenal nuclear.

Taking account of these and other items, US military spending amounts, in 2018, about 1000 billions of dollars.

As an expense per capita, this is equivalent to 3 thousand dollars per inhabitant of the states united.

Shopping military is the main cause of the federal deficit, rose to approx 1000 billions and rising sharply.

Together with other factors, it raises the US public debt, climbed in 2019 to over 22000 billions of dollars, with annual interest of 390 billions that will double in 2025.

Such a system it is based on the hegemony of the dollar, whose value is determined not from the real US economic capacity, but from the fact that it it is the main currency of foreign exchange reserves and prices international commodities.

This allows the Federal Reserve to print trillions of dollars with which the colossal US public debt is financed through bonds and other securities issued by the Treasury.

As China, Russia and other countries question the hegemony of dollar - and with it the dominated economic and political order from the West - the United States is playing the card more and more Of the war, investing the 25% of their federal budget in most expensive war machine in the world.

Shopping US military exerts a driving effect on those of other countries, which, however, remain at much lower levels.

Shopping of China is estimated by Sipri in 250 billions of dollars in 2018, even if the official figure provided by Beijing is 175.

Shopping of Russia is estimated at 61 billions, beyond 10 times less than that USA (limited to the Pentagon budget only).

According to the same sime, seven countries of NATO - USA, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Canada and Turkey - count as a whole about half of the world's military spending.

Shopping Italian military, ascent in 2018 from 13th to 11th place world, it is estimated by Sipri in 27,8 billions of dollars.

It comes like this the estimate is substantially confirmed, including other items besides defense budget, that the Italian military expenditure amounts to 25 billions of euros a year on the rise.

This means that, in a year, the equivalent is already being spent for military purposes (according to forecasts) of four years of citizenship income. In the wake of the USA, a further strong increase has now been decided. The greatest "citizenship income" is now that of the war.

The price of US "protection" skyrockets

President Trump - reveals Bloomberg [1]- is about to present the "Cost Plus 50" plan which establishes the following criterion: allied countries hosting US forces on their territory they will have to fully cover the cost and pay the US an additional one 50% in exchange for the "privilege" of hosting them and being so with them "Protected".

The plan requires host countries to also pay the salaries of the US military and the operating costs of planes and warships that the United States holds in these countries. Italy should therefore pay not only about salaries 12.000 US military stationed here, but also the running costs of F-16 fighters and other aircraft deployed by the US in Aviano and Sigonella and the costs of the Sixth Fleet based in Gaeta. According to the same criterion we should also pay the management of Camp Darby, the largest US arsenal outside the motherland, and the maintenance of US nuclear bombs deployed to Aviano and Ghedi.

It is not known how much the United States intends to ask Italy and the other European countries that host their military forces, since it is not known not even what these countries currently pay. The data is covered by military secret. According to a Rand Corporation study, the countries Europeans of NATO shoulder the average 34% the cost of forces e US bases present on their territories.

However, it is not known what annual amount they pay to the US: the only estimate - 2,5 billions of dollars - dates back to 17 Years ago. And so the amount paid by Italy is also secret. Only a few are known voices: for example tens of millions of euros to adapt the airports of Aviano and Ghedi to US F-35 fighters and new nuclear bombs B61-12 that the US will begin to deploy in Italy in 2020, and about 100 million for works on the US Air Force Station of Sigonella, also borne by Italy. In Sigonella it is financed exclusively from the USA only the Nas I, the administrative area e recreational, while the Nas II, that of the operational departments and therefore the more expensive, it is funded by NATO, that is also from Italy.

It is certain anyway - predicts a Rand Corp researcher. - that with the «Cost Plus 50» plan the costs for the allies «will skyrocket at stars ". There is talk of an increase in 600%. They will add to the military spending, which in Italy amounts to approx 70 million euros al day, destined to rise to approx 100 according to the commitments undertaken by Italian governments in NATO headquarters. This is public money, coming out from our pockets, subtracted from productive investments and expenses social.

However, it is possible that Italy could pay less for forces and bases Usa spread over its territory. The «Cost Plus 50» plan provides in fact a "discount for good behavior" in favor of the "allies who they align closely with the United States, doing what they do they ask ".

It is certain that Italy will enjoy a strong discount since, of government in government, it has always remained in the wake of the United States. Lately, sending troops and warplanes to Eastern Europe with the motivation of facing the "Russian threat" and favoring the plan US to ditch the INF Treaty to deploy in Europe, Italy included, nuclear missile positions aimed at Russia. These being the target of possible retaliation, we will need as "protection" of other US forces and bases. We will have to pay them, but always with a discount.

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