Want a real Halloween scare? US defense budget!

I blame Ramesh, for his comment here, for why I am scaring you with how much we spend on fighting whoever it is against whom we are at war on any given day year decade!

America spends as much on defence as the next 17 countries combined (most of whom are American allies). America's main competitor for the title of most profligate is China, which spends about 17% as much as America on defence. That number will continue to grow, but to give you a sense of where China stands in relation to America, look at its big military accomplishment from this year: the successful refurbishment of an old Soviet aircraft carrier, its first. America has 11 aircraft carriers, another in construction, and one more in reserve.

Happy Halloween!