I'm retired Navy, submarines to be precise. Why such a large, expensive military ? Because it's like insurance. Nobody likes to pay for it but you are glad you have it. Too many americans take it for granted the nation can't be invaded or destroyed. The reason the White House is white is because the british burned it down and, after reconstruction,the only paint in sufficient amount at the time was white. Military weakness always attracts attack. In December 7,1941, the japanese attacked because they saw the USA as militarily and culturally weak. European nations hate us but they are dependent on us because they are militarily weak. Ask the Poles, Checkz or Hungarians who they rather depend on more to protect them from revanchist Russia, the USA or France ? Real diplomacy is about getting the other guy to do what you want him to do. If you can talk about it and do a mutually satisfying agreement, that is indeed best. But sometimes only force will do. The japanese attacked because they did not want interference in their Greater East Asia Cooperation Empire and since they could not get us to agree to acquiesce, they attacked. If they had known about what would happen they would have not attacked.