How much military is enough?

The author examines the relationship between rising global military spending and international stability, arguing that the logic of deterrence often fails to eliminate threats like terrorism and can instead trigger security dilemmas. The text highlights a negative correlation between military spending and GDP growth, particularly in OECD countries, and suggests that diverting funds toward social policy could reduce radicalization. It proposes that the EU should prioritize integrated defense instruments, such as EU battlegroups, and strengthen arms control regulations to mitigate the risks of an inflationary arms race.

• Global military spending on infrastructure and technology has risen steadily across all five continents since the Cold War, particularly after 9/11, yet terrorism-related fatalities in OECD countries increased by 650% in 2015.
• Military expenditures are inversely correlated with economic growth, exerting a robust negative long-term effect on GDP, with the most significant impact observed in OECD countries.
• The logic of nuclear deterrence was empirically discredited by the 1999 Kargil War between India and Pakistan, both of which possessed nuclear technology.
• Continuous investment in military technology can create 'security dilemmas' where one state's acquisition of capacity prompts similar responses from neighbors, escalating tensions into security crises.
• Increased defense spending may heighten the risk of radicalization because it often occurs at the expense of development, social, and human security spending, disproportionately affecting poor and vulnerable groups.
• The militarization of security policies can lead to a conflict between democratic rights and military effectiveness and increase the probability of non-essential interventionism due to the availability of technology.
• The EU could mitigate regional security dilemmas by focusing on integrated defense options, such as the EU battlegroups—which consist of 18 battalions under the Council of the European Union—and joint projects like a French-German fighter jet.

APA

Baciu, C.-A. (2017). How much military is enough? Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/how-much-military-is-enough/

Chicago

Baciu, Cornelia-Adriana. How much military is enough? Green European Journal, 2017. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/how-much-military-is-enough/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Baciu |first1=Cornelia-Adriana |title=How much military is enough? |publisher=Green European Journal |date=21 August 2017 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/how-much-military-is-enough/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{baciu2017how, author = {Baciu, Cornelia-Adriana}, title = {{How much military is enough?}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2017}, month = aug, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/how-much-military-is-enough/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }