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Just a few thousand years ago we didn't spend huge parts of our useful resources and lives on militaries.

I really don't see how our imagination has shrunk so far that we all participant and perpetuate this fantasy that a world full of violence, much of which is created by the US, is the world we must continue to live in.

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Ancient Romans spent as much as 80% of their state budget on the military.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economics_of_the_Roman_army

The military was the “the largest item of state expenditure” during much of China’s Tang Dynasty.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-chinese-h...

Compared to this, 4% of the US GDP or 12% of annual US federal spending seems like a bargain, especially if you’re Germany.

comparing percent of federal spending is an odd way of doing things since the scope of government has noticably broadened.

Yes and no. The total economic pie was much smaller in antiquity, limiting the potential maximum scope of government. Even so, entitlement spending still took up its share of ancient budgets:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cura_Annonae

They extracted a return on that investment, at least in the early days of the empire. A lot of land, gold, and slaves were returned to Rome by their military.

'Twas ever thus.

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