Back in the SAA Bunker deep in the Brindabellas, Marcus & Michael declare energy independence (okay, thanks to government subsidies) and ponder the details of the Trump Administration’s new Defense budget. $1.5 trillion dollars delivers an all you can eat buffet of spending for everyone involved in the Military Industrial Complex.

The traditional big end of town – Lockheed, RTX Raytheon, Northrop and Boeing get cash, & so do tech bro outfits like Anduril & Palantir. Just the US Army’s missile budget is now bigger than the total budget of the US State Department – take that you peacenik diplomats. America First is looking like not just having a Department of War, but an entire Government of War.

There are some minor problems: 1. given the real world usage rates in Iran, this 43% increase in annual spending won’t produce enough expensive missiles & interceptors to fight even a short war with an adversary like China – so, not the strongest deterrent message. And 2. it looks a courageous assumption to think that US defence industry can ramp up at the scale and speed this cash splash desires. The budget describes a bad plan, that fails to adjust to the practical realities revealed in the Iran war – unless the plan is to be able to fight anyone except China or Russia…..