You get what you pay for

The US spends about $700 billion annually on its military.  That is about $2,000 per American man, woman and child.  That is more than all our allies and most of our potential enemies put together.  What do we get for that?

This cost would be worth every penny if it helped us avoid World War III, because even in strictly simple economic terms war is far more expensive.  And during the half-century following WWII, keeping the military big and sharp almost certainly helped keep the cold war from heating up.  But now we should ask whether it is still worth the cost, and is the cost sustainable?  

Europe and Japan were in rubble after WWII.  They cleaned up and caught up in the subsequent few decades.  Now, an American visiting these countries must honestly marvel at their advanced state: stable politics, excellent culture, livable cities, wonderful infrastructure, inclusive and affordable education, universal health care, etc.  In a market economy, one nation cannot spend substantially more than the others on something that does not bring it any advantage.

In the community of nations, in the global neighborhood, are we the nutty family driving up-armor Hummers, buying assault rifles, and wondering how we can afford braces for the kids, or save for their college, or plan our retirement?