There is a substantial amount of inertia in the intel and defense community against lapsing back into the cold war paradigm – hence the Russia and China “strategic” partner talk. The only people who believe this are the leftist in State anfd surrounding apparatus. The one thing partner about them is their ability to buy Treasuries and sate stretched US consumers with cheap goods as a short term palliative measure – like being patted on the back while your wallet goes missing.

The problem for the US – vs. Cold War – is that the US won and the rest of the world got the playbook. US now compete against economic shadows of itself around the world, whilst relying on the same folk for funding. Is said paradigm zero sum, TBD, but it is under strain.

Good idea on monetizing military prowess, but the Amex customers are the same folks mentioned above. Consider that Boeing is already under threat as the Chinese, Japanese and Russians are talking about building Jumbos.

The US has a serious competitive problem and while jingoism feels good, the reality is less easily digested, but as history suggests a pill that is best swallowed early on. Competitiveness is at the crux of the apoplexy in the capital markets. Cheap debt and rolling bubbles have smoothed over a rotting from the inside out. There can be no doubt the problems will/must be addressed and confidence restored, the sooner the better, but merely spending more to the exclusion of long term logistical funding considerations misses the point entirely. The Brits had similar delusion right up until (perhaps still) the British Empire Ended.