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U.S. Races to Accomplish Iran Mission Before Munitions Run Out

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Re: U.S. Races to Accomplish Iran Mission Before Munitions Run Out

#31
post #13

We could have had healthcare.

US healthcare costs on the order of $3T per year. The Iraq war cost about $2T over a decade. You could have about 10% subsidized healthcare, which I would obviously argue is better than pointless war killing tons of people. But you couldn't just "have healthcare".

Yep just like many things Americans are sure can't be done, universal healthcare has never been done anywhere in the world, ever. And healthcare everywhere costs what Americans are willing to pay (public and private money).

See also: not having daily mass shootings.

Re: U.S. Races to Accomplish Iran Mission Before Munitions Run Out

#32
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're forgetting that U.S. healthcare costs are also massively overblown compared to other western countries, due to the absence of proper collective bargaining. (And possibly even collusion between insurers and healthcare providers to rip off citizens and the government.)

That has nothing to do with the Department of Defense / War, or its budget.

It does with the root comment though, it's all just piss poor politics :-)

Re: U.S. Races to Accomplish Iran Mission Before Munitions Run Out

#33
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The UK spends around £200bn a year on public healthcare that covers everyone, for a population around 1/5th the size. Scale that up and convert to USD and you’re still well under half the $3tn figure you quoted.

[flagged]

> You also can't see a doctor in the UK unless you're effectively dying

This is not true.

Re: U.S. Races to Accomplish Iran Mission Before Munitions Run Out

#35
This is reminding us something that we should never have forgotten - modern war has an insatiable demand for munitions.

To take just one example out of dozens, the US fired somewhere from 100 to 150 THAAD interceptors - about ¼ of the stockpile - during the 12 days war in 2025. We produce just under 100 per year. There are plans to raise that number to 400 per year.

The Ukrainians were expending somewhere around 10,000 drones per day in mid 2025. Russian numbers are likely broadly similar.

Many historical conflicts have featured a substantial bottleneck on multiple munitions during ramp up. World War 1 had artillery shell crises across Britain, France, Russia, and Germany. World War II had similar, especially for the Russians and Germans. The US was short on ammo early in the Korean war.

Modern mechanized combat demands an insane manufacturing and logistics chain. It can burn through stockpiles incredibly fast, especially of high capability expensive munitions. War production levels are utterly unsustainable during peace time.

This is why peer and near-peer conflict is as much an economic and productive game as it is a military one. Shock and awe takes a tremendous amount of resources to accomplish at all, let alone sustain.

Re: U.S. Races to Accomplish Iran Mission Before Munitions Run Out

#36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

> You also can't see a doctor in the UK unless you're effectively dying This is not true.

I don't know where that narrative comes from, but man, is it getting old.

Re: U.S. Races to Accomplish Iran Mission Before Munitions Run Out

#38
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If China was to attack Taiwan, now would be the time. The current world order is at least in part based around the notion of the US (and allies) having the military capacity to fight any plausible combination of foes at all times. That this military capacity was used in accordance to a set of rules with input from allies and partners made the system tolerable. If the US lacks the munitions to fight all of these confl…

Fortunately, China just decided to fire most of their military leadership and replaced them with inexperienced, but loyal grunts.

Isn't that what the US did too?
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