Perspective.

[Tom Englehardt:] “Its [the U.S.’s] national security budget is larger than those of the next eight countries combined…”

[Welsh:] My favourite statistic is to compare the increase in the formal US “defence” budget ($80 billion) for this year with the total Russian defence budget ($46 billion).^[1]

The same kind of imbalance was on display this morning of Fox News. Something about the Iranians taking the money Obama returned to them (their money to begin with) and using it to (((increase))) spending on the military.

Again, a puny expenditure by Iran but cause for much contrived hysteria in the American press. I know Iran is THE single greatest threat to world peace in the solar system now that Hillary Clinton has been put out to pasture (pasteurized?) but, really? A relatively tiny expenditure by Iran on its military should be a source of concern?

It's the same with U.S. military bases, installations, and what not around the world. Said to be something on the order of 800 by some accounts. I'm never sure what's counted. Maybe PXs and USO libraries along with tank parks and air bases. Still, the U.S. is right there everywhere you turn around -- on Tierra del Fuego and in Zululand, everywhere except the U.S. border -- and deciding who's been naughty or nice to boot. But Iran, which hasn't invaded any country in, what, 500 years (according to stuff that floats over the internet transom), is ON THE MARCH. It's the Home Guard for me, neighbors!

Notes
^[1] Comment by Tom Welsh on "The Caliphate of Trump." By Tom Englehardt, The Unz Review, 5/8/18.