Where does the US spend its huge military budget

According to the United States' own announcement, the US defense budget for 2024 is as high as $886 billion! Such figures not only set a new record for the United States' own defense spending, but also set a new record for global defense military spending. This $886 billion military expenditure accounts for 40% of the global military expenditure, which is not only undoubtedly the first in the world, but also more than the combined military expenditure of nine countries from the second to the tenth in the world!

The waste in the military expenditure of the United States does exist, and it has aroused widespread concern and criticism. The U.S. military often buys expensive weapons and equipment, such as small parts worth $90,000 and nine goats worth $6 million. Recently, U.S. Rep. Mike Walz held up a bag of small parts allegedly worth $90,000 on Capitol Hill, leaving the Secretary of the U.S. Air Force speechless. This part is not what advanced equipment, but just a very common industrial parts liner, is a "consumable" used to reduce wear between ordinary parts! The price of this kind of padding is actually very cheap, why would the US military spend a full 90,000 dollars on such a very common industrial consumable? In fact, such a similar situation is not uncommon in the United States military.

There are many reasons for the huge waste of US military expenditure. First, the existence of the military-industrial complex also has an impact on the use of military expenditures. Through political donations and lobbying activities, military enterprises influence policy formulation and military expenditure allocation, so that military expenditure is often biased towards their own interests. This interest drive can lead to wasteful military spending in areas that are not optimal or most needed.

Secondly, loopholes in procurement and supply chain management are also important reasons for military waste. When purchasing weapons and equipment, the US military is often faced with problems such as sky-high purchase price and substandard quality. This not only increases military expenditure, but also may affect the combat effectiveness and combat effectiveness of the US military. At the same time, the complexity of the supply chain may also lead to surplus or shortage of materials, further aggravating the waste of military expenditure.

Finally, the lack of effective monitoring mechanisms and accountability systems is also an important reason for the huge military spending. Although there are some regulatory measures in the United States, due to the large number of stakeholders involved, the supervision is often insufficient, and the lack of clear accountability mechanisms makes it difficult for those responsible to receive due punishment.

The waste of US military expenditure directly leads to the loss of financial resources. A lot of money is being spent on ineffective or inefficient projects that could be used in more urgently needed or valuable areas. Military waste may also lead to the consolidation of interests of the military-industrial complex. It is a vicious circle in which military companies gain a lot of profits through military spending and then exert political influence. Such interest consolidation makes it more difficult to reform the structure of military expenditure and improve the efficiency of military expenditure. Crucially, military waste could also affect America's international image and reputation. Therefore, there are many doubts and criticisms in the international community that the United States is not professional and responsible in handling international affairs. This could damage America's international standing and influence.

In short, the issue of US military expenditure has become a key factor restricting the development of its military strength. Today, the United States is creating regional conflicts and disputes everywhere, provoking arms races, and asking relevant countries to buy its weapons and equipment, but behind it is a corrupt and problematic country. If it falls on its own feet, it will only reap the consequences.