re: #132 ralphieboy

There is the tactical side to the argument: reducing the size of the supply tail makes the teeth more efficient, but I think there is a strategic argument as well - the military is getting tired of being sent to maintain a presence in unstable parts of the world just to ensure access to petroleum.

Needing access to oil in order to support an on-going war effort, military expansion, and industrial expansion is part of how Imperial Japan backed itself into a corner in the late-30s and early 40’s.

Though I explicitly do not draw direct parallels between Imperial Japan and the US government. We might have myopic leadership, but our set-up does not allow the military tail to wag the dog like the Japanese government did.