Weak U.S. foreign policy hurts the country's standing in the world.
For generations, Congress has funded the Pentagon on a basic premise: American forces should have the resources to fight and win significant wars in two different theaters.
The emphasis got more serious after 9/11 when the country had to defend against multiple global threats from non-state actors while fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The defense budget soared from $303 billion in 2000 to a whopping $715 billion in 2022.
The brutal war for control of the mineral-rich country has killed more than 15,000 people, sparked the world’s biggest displacement crisis and left 18 million people facing acute food insecurity.
Despite world defense spending reaching a record $2.2 trillion last year, 77% of citizens of NATO countries believe they should increase or maintain defense spending – up from 70% in 2021.
The protector of democracy disregards the Supreme Court.
Rhetoric vs. Reality
Shadow warfare between Israel and Iran increasingly threatens to spill over into open conflict. Iran avoids state-on-state hostility by pursuing asymmetrical warfare through proxy armies.
