James Madison on War, Liberty, Debt and Taxes

[Ichingcarpenter]

''Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes … known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few.… No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.''

James Madison, Political Observations, 1795



Summarizing some key details from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)’s recent trends summary:

World military expenditure in 2010 is estimated to have reached $1.62 trillion in current dollars;

This represents a 1.3 per cent increase in real terms since 2009 and a 50 per cent increase since 2001;

This corresponds to 2.6 per cent of world gross domestic product (GDP), or approximately $236 for each person in the world;

The USA with its massive spending budget, is the principal determinant of the current world trend, and its military expenditure now accounts for just under half of the world total, at 43% of the world total;


The 15 countries with the highest spending account for over 82% of the total;

The USA is responsible for 43 per cent of the world total, distantly followed by the China (7.3% of world share), UK (3.7%), France (3.6%), and Russia (3.6%):


http://www.sipri.org/research/armaments/milex/resultoutput/trends