The U.S. spends more on defense than the next eight countries combined

We the people pay for it too. The US can't continue to police the world. But then if the US doesn't do some of these things things are apt to get a lot worse as wackos everywhere get money and power and justify genocide and terrorism. Unfortunately a lot of military support is used to protect corporate interests that sometimes support corrupt regimes that foster terrorism. Too many weapons worldwide and too many people who want to use them.

You mean offense.... Next to nothing on actual defense...

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... and then think of what is spent on the SOCIAL programs! ...
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... they overwhelm the defense cost! ...
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bzzzer, wrong.

yes, and it is called unfunded liabilities. health insurance, retirement costs, medical benefits, spouse benefits, etc. US corporations too, which amounts to over 200 trillion dollars in debt. and why they are about to cull your ass, and take you and your friends off the books. you eat too much

shouldn't it be called offense spending?

Social Security and Medicare were funded my taxes paid by the working population of the U.S. Two thirds of those taxes collected were stolen by congress to fund wars of aggression around the world and support generations of welfare layabouts.

Now the people on Social Security receive about one third the benefits they are entitled to, and have to listen to themselves being compared to the generations of welfare frauds that they have been supporting.

Although I agree with the point of your post, in reallity it is probably not accurate. The Chinese numbers are their official numbers, but security agencies across the globe agree those numbers are understated and may only be half of what they actually spend.