- Banned
- #1
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures
I have colored red the countries that although not currently, may at some later date pose a security threat to our nation. And when I say later I'm looking possibly out to 50 years.
Indonesia due to the long shared border with us.
Taiwan who I consider an emerging major threat, it was only recently that they uncomfortably deployed a battleship into the main harbour in the Soloman Islands while we were in the process of deploying troops.
Japan has attacked us before 65 years ago, 50 years time who knows relations may not be so harmonious.
China if supply of our resources was ever threatened may feel compelled to take action, much like Japan in WW2.
I listed a few Southern Hemisphere countries because of possible future Antarctic/Southern Ocean disputes. It may not seem an issue now, but if we are in an aggresive phase of global warming or if someone decides to press an Antarctic territorial claim, or attempts to mine down there. Our military priorities may focus on them.
Likewise if something go's horribly wrong with Japan's whaling down there (eg the SS Steve Irwin gets sunk) or the South American countries fishing in the Southern Ocean or South Pacific.
Pakistan and India because they may blow up against each other in the Indian Ocean and that may drag the region into it.
With possible consequences of global warming we also have the threat of issues arising from our nearby northern neighbors getting squeezed and destabilising in the face of possible rising sea levels or even droughts.
We are always going to have to spend more than most on our military anyway because we are totally surrounded by sea, and we straddle 3 oceans (Pacific, Indian and Southern)
Hence we do need to be a submarine power and we need our military to be able to project a long way because to the south of us is nothing but ocean until you get to the currently mainly unoccupied Antarctic. To which we rightfully have a fairly large territorial claim (about 40% I think) on. We might be able to trust ourselves that we will keep in pristine and un-mined, but can we trust others including our neighbors and the yanks ?
I think including taking into account our remote isolation to the rest of the world that we have got our military spending about right.
Part of that is because I keep thinking back to when WW2 Labor Prime Minister John Curtain was confronted with the Japanese bearing down on us, and none of our then involved traditional military allies like Britain willing or able to help us.
Our survival as a nation at that time was totally due to being saved by the U.S.A
And because we are so resource rich, we are a target. Thats the drawback to being the lucky country.
Code:
Rank...Country..............Military expenditures (USD)
1.......United States.......$583,283,000,000
2.......France..................$74,690,470,000
3.......United Kingdom.......$68,911,000,000
[B][COLOR="red"]4.......China....................$59,000,000,000 [/COLOR][/B]
5.......Germany................$44,712,300,000
[B][COLOR="red"]6.......Japan....................$41,750,000,000 [/COLOR][/B]
7.......Russia...................$40,000,000,000
8.......Italy.....................$32,600,000,000
9.......Saudi Arabia...........$31,050,000,000
10.....South Korea...........$29,539,193,034
[B][COLOR="red"]11.....India.....................$26,500,000,000 [/COLOR][/B]
12.....Brazil....................$25,396,731,055
[B][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]13.....Australia................$20,727,710,000 [/COLOR][/B]
14.....Canada.................$17,150,002,540
15.....Spain....................$15,792,207,000
16.....Turkey..................$15,166,000,000
17.....Netherlands...........$12,000,000,000
[COLOR="Red"][B]18.....Taiwan.................$10,500,000,000[/B][/COLOR]
19.....Poland....................$9,650,000,000
20.....Israel.....................$9,444,000,000
21.....Greece...................$7,648,561,000
[B][COLOR="red"]22.....Singapore...............$7,129,400,000 [/COLOR][/B]
23.....Sweden..................$6,309,137,714
24.....Iran.......................$6,300,000,000
25.....Mexico...................$6,070,000,000
[B][COLOR="red"]27.....North Korea.............$5,500,000,000
28.....Chile......................$5,193,000,000
29.....Pakistan.................$4,800,000,000
30.....Argentina...............$4,300,000,000
31.....South Africa............$4,067,879,840 [/COLOR][/B]
[B][COLOR="red"]47.....Thailand.................$1,775,000,000 [/COLOR][/B]
[B][COLOR="red"]48.....Malaysia.................$1,690,000,000 [/COLOR][/B]
[B][COLOR="red"]54.....Philippines...............$1,348,000,000 [/COLOR][/B]
[COLOR="red"][B]55.....Indonesia................$1,300,000,000 [/B][/COLOR]
60.....New Zealand............$1,147,000,000I have colored red the countries that although not currently, may at some later date pose a security threat to our nation. And when I say later I'm looking possibly out to 50 years.
Indonesia due to the long shared border with us.
Taiwan who I consider an emerging major threat, it was only recently that they uncomfortably deployed a battleship into the main harbour in the Soloman Islands while we were in the process of deploying troops.
Japan has attacked us before 65 years ago, 50 years time who knows relations may not be so harmonious.
China if supply of our resources was ever threatened may feel compelled to take action, much like Japan in WW2.
I listed a few Southern Hemisphere countries because of possible future Antarctic/Southern Ocean disputes. It may not seem an issue now, but if we are in an aggresive phase of global warming or if someone decides to press an Antarctic territorial claim, or attempts to mine down there. Our military priorities may focus on them.
Likewise if something go's horribly wrong with Japan's whaling down there (eg the SS Steve Irwin gets sunk) or the South American countries fishing in the Southern Ocean or South Pacific.
Pakistan and India because they may blow up against each other in the Indian Ocean and that may drag the region into it.
With possible consequences of global warming we also have the threat of issues arising from our nearby northern neighbors getting squeezed and destabilising in the face of possible rising sea levels or even droughts.
We are always going to have to spend more than most on our military anyway because we are totally surrounded by sea, and we straddle 3 oceans (Pacific, Indian and Southern)
Hence we do need to be a submarine power and we need our military to be able to project a long way because to the south of us is nothing but ocean until you get to the currently mainly unoccupied Antarctic. To which we rightfully have a fairly large territorial claim (about 40% I think) on. We might be able to trust ourselves that we will keep in pristine and un-mined, but can we trust others including our neighbors and the yanks ?
I think including taking into account our remote isolation to the rest of the world that we have got our military spending about right.
Part of that is because I keep thinking back to when WW2 Labor Prime Minister John Curtain was confronted with the Japanese bearing down on us, and none of our then involved traditional military allies like Britain willing or able to help us.
Our survival as a nation at that time was totally due to being saved by the U.S.A
And because we are so resource rich, we are a target. Thats the drawback to being the lucky country.
