Common wisdom – The US military provides security.  It is part of the “Department of Defense”, saving the US from foreign threats.  It protects us from terrorism.

Reality – There are no credible threats which are capable of inflicting any significant damage.  None.  And the military creates terrorists through it’s terrorism.  UAVs, kicking down doors at night, torturing, imprisonment of thousands and thousands of people with no process, let alone due process.

Common wisdom – The US military is spreading freedom, democracy and human rights around the world.

Reality – Where?  Iraq, a non-threat invaded at terrible cost, is not a democracy even in name.  Afghanistan has a puppet government installed by the US which is corrupt to the core and is nibbling at Uncle Sam’s ankle.

So who benefits from the US military?  Certainly not the US.  It is not doing anything for the US remotely commensurate with the cost.

Munition makers, designers, lenders of money to cover deficits, and the mega-corporations who benefit from imperialism.  Not the American people, whose life wouldn’t change if the military were reduced in half and the personnel were trained in health care, the hardware budget were spent on MRIs, etc.

It’s ridiculous.  However, as the result of propaganda spread by the mega-corporations who own the US media, the citizenry has been led to believe and doesn’t question the need for a huge offensive establishment.  It’s just plain silly, can’t be defended.