School of War cover image

School of War

Ep 140: Roger Wicker on Defense Spending and Peace through Strength

Aug 27, 2024
Roger Wicker, a U.S. Senator from Mississippi and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, shares insights from his military background and current defense priorities. He advocates for increasing U.S. defense spending to 5% of GDP and stresses the significance of military readiness in a changing global landscape. Wicker emphasizes the need for modernizing the nuclear arsenal, reforming procurement processes for better equipment, and strengthening alliances, particularly in the Indo-Pacific and Europe, to counter rising threats.
24:26

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Senator Wicker advocates for increasing U.S. defense spending to 5% of GDP to address evolving global threats and enhance military readiness.
  • He emphasizes that boosting military funding must go hand in hand with improving procurement processes and increasing shipyard capacity to ensure effective defense capabilities.

Deep dives

Increasing Defense Spending

Current defense spending in the United States is approximately 3% of GDP, which Senator Roger Wicker argues is insufficient given the evolving global threats. Wicker advocates for increasing defense expenditure to 5% to better prepare for potential conflicts, highlighting the heightened military risks faced by the U.S. today, including threats from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. He points to expert opinions, including former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who support this increase as a necessary step for national security. The senator emphasizes that such spending is not just about numbers, but about readiness for a two-theater conflict that is increasingly likely.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode