America Needs a New Grand Strategy
President Biden’s 2023 budget proposal will give the military $770 billion — more money than has ever been allocated to our armed forces. It’s far more than China and Russia spend on their militaries — combined. And what does the U.S. hope to achieve with that massive allocation? The country threw $2.3 trillion into Afghanistan with nothing to show for it. Such spending hasn’t deterred China or Russia from threatening its neighbors… leaving aside whether or not the U.S. should even care.The politicos used to justify handing over large sums of cash to the U.S. Defense Department by claiming it was in support of a “Grand Strategy.” During the Cold War we were told it was necessary to prevent the spread of communism. After 9/11, they said we needed a strong military to fight terrorism. It’s not entirely clear what the “Grand Strategy” is today… but Charles Hugh Smith argues we need to hew a new one that focuses on the internals of the United States.