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What would happen if we didn't have a military?

It would be wonderful to live in a world in which we did not need a military, but not having one would subject us and our allies to considerable risk, as well as some rather severe economic consequences. Sadly, often what prevents one country from attacking another country is simply the fact that the country can defend itself against attack, subjecting the attacking country to casualties and material loss, and that the attacked country can...

It would be wonderful to live in a world in which we did not need a military, but not having one would subject us and our allies to considerable risk, as well as some rather severe economic consequences. Sadly, often what prevents one country from attacking another country is simply the fact that the country can defend itself against attack, subjecting the attacking country to casualties and material loss, and that the attacked country can retaliate, with the same consequences. I would say that to a large degree, this is what has kept the world more peaceful than it otherwise would be. Without a military, we cannot properly defend our borders, nor can we help those allies to whom we have commitments to defend. Economically, not having a military is problematic, too. Military expenditure is about 4.35% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). That might sound like a small number, but this year, this spending is over $600 billion. Contractors who supply the military with everything from weaponry to food would have no market, and hundreds of thousands of people would be unemployed, between contractors, military personnel, and civilian employees.  Thus, we would be a defenseless country with severe economic problems. 

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