http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7276277.stm

- That's a whole lot of Yen.

Just before the announcement, the US released a report criticising China's military spending, and voicing concern over advances in space and cyberspace

lolololol.

lolololol.
That's so passe. Our per-capita military spending isn't that high (or the highest in the world).

People see large aggregate numbers and can't conceptualize them in perspective.

i beg to le differ..

http://www.globalissues.org/i/military/country-distribution-2008.png

Why does the US number seem so high when the budget announced $517.9 for the Department of Defense?

Unfortunately, the budget numbers can be a bit confusing. For example, the Fiscal Year budget requests for US military spending do not include combat figures (which are supplemental requests that Congress approves separately). The budget for nuclear weapons falls under the Department of Energy, and for the 2009 request, was about $29 billion.

The cost of war (Iraq and Afghanistan) is estimated to be about $170 billion for the 2009 spending alone. Christopher Hellman and Travis Sharp also discuss the US fiscal year 2009 Pentagon spending request and note that “Congress has already approved nearly $700 billion in supplemental funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and an additional $126 billion in FY'08 war funding is still pending before the House and Senate.”

Open a dictionary. Read the definition for per-captia. Re-Google for another chart. Get back to us.

You cut me deep, sanchek, you cut me real deep =(

Using the numbers from Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, February 22, 2008

USA

Population - 2008 estimate 303,477,000
Military Spending - Dollars(billions) 711
Per capita spending: ~2.34 billion dollars.

China

Population - 2007 estimate 1,321,851,888
Military Spending - Dollars(billions) 121.9
Per capita spending: ~0.0000000915 billion dollars.

Now do that for the rest of your chart. You'll find that the US is in the top 5, but not the highest.

A single B-2 Bomber costs 2.1 billion, not to mention the cost of a carrier.

Total Military Spending (By Country):
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mil_exp_dol_fig-military-expenditures-dollar-figure
U.S. #1 ($276,700,000,000.00)
China #2 ($55,910,000,000.00)

Per-Capita Military Spending (By Country):
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mil_exp_dol_fig_percap-expenditures-dollar-figure-per-capita
U.S. #3 ($935.64 per person)
China #79 ($42.80 per person)

This still doesn't address "the pot calling the kettle black" mentality of this report.

Cheers,

noting that i am way too lazy to actually do that for all of the countries, i leave you with this.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mil_exp_dol_fig_percap-expenditures-dollar-figure-per-capita

note that the figures used for the US in this graph varies greatly from my previous figures, since they, for example, do not include either of the ongoing war.

I was pointing out that the American military spending commentary is old and busted. Obviously we spend more total than anyone else. For that matter, we're probably the largest contributor to China's military budget, through imports!

we're probably the largest contributor to China's military budget, through imports
No argument there ;)

Cheers,

Us population 301,139,947 (July 2007 est.)
Chinese population 1,321,851,888 (July 2007 est.)

noting that i am way too lazy to actually do that for all of the countries, i leave you with this.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mil_exp_dol_fig_percap-expenditures-dollar-figure-per-capita

note that the figures used for the US in this graph varies greatly from my previous figures, since they, for example, do not include either of the ongoing war.
Exactly.

#18 Sweden: $488.23 per person
#41 Iran: $142.61 per person
You warmongering Swedes.

some wicked high percentage of our military spending is actually spent on UN peacekeeping missions =(

anyway, can we all just agree that the irony runs deep from that US report?

some wicked high percentage of our military spending is actually spent on UN peacekeeping missions =(

anyway, can we all just agree that the irony runs deep from that US report?

Agreed, Wiggo, and the only reason I did not rep ya was 'cus it won't let me.

We have to spend that much to keep the evil empire rolling.

Very hypocritical for us to criticize them for 1/4 th the amount of the US when they have 3 x the population.

Are we concerned because we know they'll spend it in a much more efficient fashion than us?

If you look at our military sprawl (not that I approve) vs. theirs, I can see it being troubling to see so much military spending focused in such a relatively small area for that amount of money.

I think it certainly hints at expansion or escalation in the foreseeable future. I wouldn't want to be Taiwan these days.

On that same site with the per-capita numbers, I found these interesting:

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/mil_exp_dol_fig_pergdp-expenditures-dollar-figure-per-gdp

Keep in mind that China has been focusing heavily on naval expansion in the last decade. This can be considered as both a threat to Taiwan and potential expansionist ideas.

Us population 301,139,947 (July 2007 est.)
Chinese population 1,321,851,888 (July 2007 est.)

The minute China wants to zerg us or anyone else we're history anyways. Guess I'll just enjoy Wal-Mart while I still can.

The minute China wants to zerg us or anyone else we're history anyways

We might be light on Tanks! but our clerics have a way big mana pool and alot more AA's!
Not to mention our AE and CC groups.

China isnt an issue until they decide there resources are threatened, Be it oil from new friends of Chavez. I doubt they really want an issue with the xerox copy of the take over of hong Kong and its ultimate result in success for the entire country at large
which if you were scared might have been an issue from the get go.

tawain might be less secure and a singular threat to the new and upcoming Chinise Impire some might call them the new Isreal.

F3ar the power of Europa!!

We're already planning our evil expansion across North Africa and the Middle East.

F3AR US!!! Our Darfur mission has already slain 2 natives! Raawwrrr!

China is closing all of their factories down for two weeks prior to the olympics to help air quality for the games. They are cutting off fresh water to most of the country during the games to make sure there is plenty for the international community. My dad works for GE as a chemist and was telling me they have to bring in tons of portable generators from GE Electric and water purifiers fro GE Water all financed by GE Bank because they can't handle any of it on their own. If they ever were stupid enough to dance with a country like us the tax on their citizens would surely bring about something similar to what happened in the USSR following World War 2, only the average Chinese citizen is far worse off compared to the 1980 Soviet citizen.

They've been dancing with us for some time now. We're just too distracted with all the overt warfare going on to pay attention.

The minute China wants to zerg us or anyone else we're history anyways. Guess I'll just enjoy Wal-Mart while I still can.


Ever play an RTS? In our situation, we have two guys playing... one has a massive army of un-upgraded units. The other has a large army of fully upgraded units. The guy with the technology is going to win.

Back to the real world... China may have (or at least has the potential to have) a very large standing army. But that won't matter when hey don't have the weapons to equip that army, or the technology to combat a much more advanced enemy. Now, I know China is not in the dark ages. They have their technology. They just don't have it on a large scale.

Man-power is not everything.

You remember that Chinese sub that popped up in the middle of our carrier group, undetected? I'm not that convinced that our aging military is as vastly superior as we'd like to think.

While we overextend ourselves out of control, they're (relatively) quietly preparing for something.

'they're (relatively) quietly preparing for something.'

- Yeah, it begins with a 'Tai' and ends in a 'Wan'.

It would be cool if Taiwan declared their independance on Olympics opening day. Just sayin.

If by "cool" you mean "explosive" then ya, it would be cool.

I don't think Taiwan would be the one to make the first move in the China / Tiawan scenario. If they did you can bet that China would be harsh in their response to save face, although I am sure they would wait until all of the games had come to an end and the foreign press had left the country.

Cheers,