It’s obvious that the United States is without a doubt the global military leader. We have far more nuclear weapons and facilities throughout the world than any other nation. However Russia still trails as a second to the United States. What I am wondering is how can they continue to produce so many weapons and have the second best arsenal in the world? Let’s face it – times are tough. The US is in the midst of a harsh recession and Russia is enduring the same. In the past Russia has relied on oil in order to provide a considerable sum of their income. However today with oil prices in the thirties, it is looking like the nation will need to draw income from elsewhere. There is also the reality that Russia is able to dump vast sums of money into nuclear and arms development because they sell so many weapons internationally.
The United States won’t lose their military dominance any time soon. We simply have too many resources and our foundation is strong. However I will admit that this economic climate is likely to cause a shift in the waters. Whatever nations emerge as victorious with bustling and healthy economies after this recession will have more money to put towards developing and sustaining their military. This is a time where we need to be careful. We need to decrease governmental spending while not sacrificing quality. I hope that Obama will bring some efficiency into the Whitehouse so that funds are stretched as far as possible.
