Could the US win a war with a near-peer adversary today?
Thursday, February 12, 2026
AI Disclaimer: This platform utilizes AI to summarize breaking news and may contain inaccuracies or errors. As the platform grows, we intend to add more human oversight and pursue justice while minimizing AI involvement.
The US has a severe manpower shortage, with only 9% of young Americans willing to serve, down from 15%, and a birth rate of 1.6 per woman, making it unlikely to meet wartime needs through an all-volunteer force, according to the Department of Defense.
The military-industrial complex is consolidated among five major firms - Boeing, Lockheed Martin, RTX, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman - which has made the US vulnerable to material shortages, with the 2025 National Security Strategy acknowledging a lack of industrial capacity to produce modern systems and munitions at scale.
The US is $38 trillion in debt, with $1 trillion annual budget deficits projected, and the Pentagon has failed eight consecutive financial audits, consuming nearly $1 trillion annually, with little to show for it, having won only one war since World War II, as noted by the author, citing General Sherman's quote "War is hell".
