What Would Real ‘National Security’ Look and Feel Like?

Ah, national security. This hackneyed phrase is trotted out by supposed ‘patriots’ and scoundrels alike to bolster their chosen cause or to hide behind. Or both. In the US especially, our airwaves and public square are overflowing with loud, persistent scare tactics invoking ‘national security.’

Usually, we conjure dire threats coming from outside the US, but in the Trump era far-right politicians are increasingly drumming up hysteria (again) about supposed internal threats from ‘socialists’ and ‘communists.’ The common denominator is always this: Be afraid. Be very afraid — and elect ME to protect you, your loved ones, and our nation!

Of course, I readily admit that some emphasis on national security is needed, given our current, barely civilized ‘human condition.’ There are real dangers and threats that must be dealt with. However, the US in particular has gone way overboard with its heavy commitment (addiction?) to national security spending.

How far overboard? Consider this: every year, on average, the US spends more on its military than the next sixteen major nations combined. In 2025, that amounted to $962 billion, while the next biggest spender, China, spent far less — $246 billion (and for that amount, China got a much larger standing army). In terms of per capita spending, the US and Israel are the only nations exceeding $2,500, with most others spending less than $1,000.

Considering America’s huge investment in its military ‘security,’ you’d think its citizens would be the happiest, safest, most secure people on the planet. Yet, it hasn’t worked out that way. Far from it. Most Americans seem to be on edge, anxious, and even paranoid about life and the world around us, and our society seems to be imploding. Dire threats are (or seem to be) everywhere — and are multiplying.

What went wrong?

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Our endless ‘national security’ nightmare

Given the minimal ‘return on investment’ granted by US military spending — in terms of human peace of mind, anyway — it’s high time to ask: What would REAL ‘national security’ look and feel like? It is clearly not enough to just fund a massive military and maintain a vast, far-flung military presence around the world. (Astoundingly, the US maintains a military presence in almost every nation; see https://www.us-militarynow.com/)

Many other nations — even very large countries like Brazil and Australia — have far smaller militaries, yet are also much more ‘secure.’ Perhaps the solution lies in a major shift in our thinking, not in building more and better weapons, smart bombs, missiles, attack drones, etc.

Scarily, imagining that superior firepower and manpower alone can somehow make us feel safe and secure has proven to be a costly and dangerous misconception. It’s a misconception that we can no longer afford to promote or even tolerate. It’s that dangerous and misguided.

The basic problem, to my mind, is that the US has gradually morphed into a huge bully and aggressor on the world stage — especially during the ‘reign’ of Donald Trump. Today we’re bullying other nations — even our friends and allies — with unfair, noxious tariffs, and militarily attacking other nations, groups, and ‘terrorists’ at will or even on a whim.

From protector to aggressor: a formula for societal disaster

Once upon a time, during and after WW II, the US was lauded as the savior of Europe, but by now we’ve totally lost our luster and any semblance of being anyone’s ‘savior.’ Rather, we are increasingly feared, hated, and loathed around the world.

Put differently, the US has been busily creating more and more enemies, all around the world. Then, when we sense or discover how many people hate and fear us and wish to see US power hobbled, we go into panic mode… and think we need an even stronger military to deal with the mounting threat environment. Here’s how the (bonkers) formula seems to work:

Antagonize other nations, even our allies;
Create more enmity and active enemies around the world;
Get even more fearful and paranoid; and
Insist on growing our military and increasing its funding so we can ‘protect ourselves.’

Then… rinse and repeat. Over and over and over, endlessly.

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Needed: a form of ‘national security’ worth pursuing

Our militaristic approach to life and conflict-solving is problematic, at best, and intensely barbaric at worst. We cannot take on the whole world and somehow win. In such a scenario, the biggest loser will always be us and our society. And to avoid this dire fate, we need to deeply re-imagine what ‘national security’ really means, and what it consists of.

This is no easy task. But since the brute-force approach clearly doesn’t work, long-term, it’s simply something we must do as a society if we wish to survive and perhaps even thrive. And the first vital shift should involve placing our internal, emotional, and economic security on an equal footing with our armed might. For far too long, our ‘might makes right’ attitudes have dominated our thinking and eclipsed all other human needs and considerations.

However, this is a sure pathway to societal misery and breakdown, as we are now discovering. The vast, horrifying imbalance between our external, global power and the economic and social powerlessness of the ‘average American’ makes for equally vast psychic and emotional conflict and its counterpart, growing class warfare.

The combination of our super-capitalistic economic system, rising oligarchy, and disappearing rights and freedoms here at home guarantees fast-rising resentment, anger, and hopelessness. And these ugly feelings and reactions easily morph into hatred and violence — and ever-expanding insecurity and paranoia.

. . .

Ironic, isn’t it? The very things we obsessively focus on, and keep enacting and supporting, are the exact things that erode and undermine our sense of security — both on the national and personal level.

If we truly wish to create a deeply felt sense of ‘national security,’ a successful path forward would likely involve a better, healthier ‘America first’ agenda — in the form of actively rethinking, renewing, and healing our own society.

That would be a form of ‘national security’ worth investing in and pursuing.

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This post was previously published on This America.

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