A resource is any physical material, asset, person, or supply that can be drawn upon to function properly, solve a problem, or achieve a goal. Resources can be renewable or non-renewable, and are broadly categorized based on their utility and origin. From the definition we can easily understand and appreciate the value of resources in the sustenance of human society. Therefore, resources which are utilized in offensive military campaigns would generally be counterproductive to the maintenance of human well being. No doubt, using the adage that ‘good fences make good neighbors’, would imply that a certain amount of resources are used for defense of a country or sovereign state and some offensive military ordnance as well. This leads us to inquire as to the history of global military spending since the end of World War Two:
The Cold War Era (1945–1989)
Following World War II, military spending remained high as global tensions fractured into the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union
The Post-Cold War “Peace Dividend” (1990–1999)
The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 prompted a dramatic reduction in defense budgets worldwide, often referred to as the “peace dividend”
The Post-9/11 Surge (2000–2010s)
Global priorities shifted rapidly following the terrorist attacks on the U.S. in 2001, triggering a decade of escalating defense outlays.
Contemporary Rearmament Era (2020–Present)
Global military spending has experienced 11 consecutive years of growth, reaching unprecedented peaks amid the war in Ukraine and rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific. We, the masses of humanity who keep the wheels of production and maintenance of world civilization moving, are left outside of the parameters of decisions about the major uses of global resources. However, it is important that we are informed and aware of the direction the leaders of the nation states are guiding us and if and when possible take a stance for our own collective preservation!