I mean, by any reasonable metric I can think of, the US military is by far the world's number 1 military, yet 49% of Americans think it is not…
Americans Less Likely to See U.S. as No. 1 Militarily
About half of Americans now think the U.S. is the world’s No.1 military power, down from last year, and by one percentage point the lowest Gallup has measured over the past quarter century.
idk, I hear the Wimpodites' pillow arsenal is highly effective.
Number One if viewed through the lens of outright technological and mechanical superiority. Then, yes.
Number One viewed through the lens of how the government utilizes the military. Then, no.
I don't know how how the government utilizes the military even makes sense in the context of this poll, or in the context of…anything.
Vietnam. Iraq. Afghanistan.
+Marvin CÂ Yes, all terrible. Â Yes, I agree 100% the government misuses the military constantly.
I just can't see how that's relevant to any reasonable interpretation of "Is America's military number 1?"
Ookay, since we're down to that….Persian Gulf War, Yugoslavia, #1 arms exporter on Earth (which makes the possibility of any of those countries going to war with us a practical impossibility) and Navy that not even other peer countries care to compete with and that everyone looks to to keep the ocean free for everyone. it's usually us that countries look to for an ally when Russia/China get all pissy.Â
There's more than "how many wars have you won?" at this level.
My comment was directed to your comment 49% of Americans think it's not. I gave my reason.
Look at the historical progress of the opinion. It is at its highest during times when we have troops actively deployed somewhere (or when we have a win, like killing bin Laden).
It sinks during the term of Democratic Presidents (likely because the talking point is always how that president is weakening the military).
I blame the news media failing to challenge political misinformation.
When the military can be (mis)used by its very own government, that is not just a knock against government, but against the military as well.
No it isn't, unless you think military dictatorships are awesome.
The US has the best equipment, training, and leadership. It can take on nearly any single country on the planet and reduce it to so much dust.
Yet it can't handle small terror cells and insurgants.
Furthermore, I don't think it's ignorant for someone to have an anti-military opinion. I'm a Navy Brat and a veteran myself (USAF, 1985 – 1996). As well, I'm sure many would not think the military is number one based off of the atrocities committed by American servicemen (Abu Ghraib).
When I choose a hammer I don't disqualify a hammer because some brand of hammer is routinely used to bash people's skulls in.
A hammer will be #1 based upon it's ability to drive nails.
To say a hammer is not #1 because psychos also like to use it to bash skulls is an ignorant position.
When you say that hammer is not #1 because you don't like people to get their head bashed in, I understand your position and identify with the abhorrence against skull-bashing, but I think you're ignorant about what the purpose of a hammer is.
+Dustin Wyatt
Makes sense and I understand.
It's not an either/or question. I'd want to answer yes to both parts.
To be fair, the phrasing "only one of several leading military powers" can be viewed in different ways. Russia doesn't have near as good an armed forces, but it does have a lot of nukes which gives it significant military leverage.
+Charles Gaines #1 arms exporter on Earth (which makes the possibility of any of those countries going to war with us a practical impossibility)
Do you really think that our arms dealers won't continue selling munitions to certain countries just because we're at war with them? No, they'll just grumble at the added expense of having to launder the sales through a neutral third country.
Arms dealers have a long history of selling to both sides and doubling their profits that way.
I have to agree with +Marvin C as to how nearly half of Americans could feel that we aren't #1 militarily. When you're administering an empire it's difficult to understand how so many resources could be devoted to military spending while still failing to achieve political objectives when utilizing the military.
This isn't anything new. Look at the Boer Wars or the fall of the Spanish Armada or the many failed conquests of the Romans. All of these were indisputably the most powerful military forces on the planet in their day and none were invincible or immune to alternative strategies designed to exploit their specific political or structural weaknesses.
And so it is by that measure the US military is a strong military that is ultimately one of a group of such. It may be #1 by many objective measures but it is by no means guaranteed success because of those metrics.
The real answer for this poll? America is #1 in humblebragging.