Originally posted by bodrul
If/When the US econemy collapses
how long would it take for its armed forces to collapse
or would that stand as the same strength regardless?
Considering that history has frequently "shown us the way", I think that your question can be answered by looking at the former Soviet Union.
Even when the Soviet Union faced total collapse, the U.S.S.R. was still able to sustain it's military. The army is the last bastion of control that
the U.S.S.R. had and the same holds true for any country.
With this in mind, I would imagine that if the US government were to face a total economic collapse, the military would be the one branch of
government that would be maintained "at all costs".
Frankly, even if the US were to "dissolve as a nation", the military would probably continue to exist simply because it would be the last remaining
element of organization, discipline and control with the power to exert it's influence over others. The military is, in a sense, a government unto
itself and, as such, it would certainly continue to exist and to function.
In the USSR, one reason why the military continued to exist and remain a unified force was because it allowed it's members -- the soldiers -- a
standard of living that, by comparison to that of the typical Soviet Citizen, guaranteed food, shelter and clothing.
If the US were to entirely collapse, the existing military forces would probably remain relatively intact because, united as they are, the armed
forces would be able to offer it's members food, shelter and clothing.
Other examples of this can also be found in practically every third world country. Just look at Haiti, Somalia, Zaire, etc. Even though the military
in those countries might have deteriorated into what we might consider as being "armed gangs", the cohesiveness of these organizations and the power
that they exert through military might practically guarantees their continued existance.
