I think it’s not very clarifying to round up to “military matters.” I think the US’s track record there for the last seventy years has not been very impressive, but the thing I specifically care about is the question: “does the USG spend lots of money on things that some part of it knows are a waste of money?”, to which the answer is: “yes, obviously.” Thus an argument that relies on “surely they wouldn’t waste money in this way” is just not in line with the evidence that we see.
Clearly you believe that the US government is incompetent in military matters, then.
In your opinion, how far back in time does that incompetence go?
I think it’s not very clarifying to round up to “military matters.” I think the US’s track record there for the last seventy years has not been very impressive, but the thing I specifically care about is the question: “does the USG spend lots of money on things that some part of it knows are a waste of money?”, to which the answer is: “yes, obviously.” Thus an argument that relies on “surely they wouldn’t waste money in this way” is just not in line with the evidence that we see.