mika2k1,

“There’s absolutely no reason for that.”

One again, you present naivity as an argument.

There is a very good reson for that as noted by buddy larsen.

Nootwithstanding, for instance, Europeans that decided to reduce their military spending deflecting it to welfare, to a degree that theit respective militaries are little more than collection of tin soldiers. They are esentially riding on US taxpayers’ backs.

There is one aspect, though, that is largely disregarded or forgotten. A sizable portion of military spending budget is dedicated to R&D. The results (spinoffs) are bounced back to civil sector. That factor is not negligible either. Just from the top of my head, my SE Linux layer has been developed by those eeeevil spooks at NSA. (The budget for Intel agencies, although separate, is usually lumped with overall military spending figures).