Behold! Emperor Trump

What to make of U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed budget. A $54-billion hike in spending on weapons balanced with cuts in foreign aid, environmental programs and domestic agencies. It is if nothing else a major shift toward a military state, furthering a trend the country has been on for some time.

Many people have expressed concern that Trump's election was a serious threat to liberal democracy. I admit to being one of those who thought such concerns were overblown, but now with the commander-in-chief swelling the ranks of his troops while surrounding himself with generals and right-wing extremists, this buffoon is seriously starting to worry me.

What, after all, does the American military need this additional funding for? It already spends more than the next eight countries' militaries combined. And to defend itself against what? It has friendly (and weak) neighbours on two sides and oceans on the other two. And it has enough nuclear weapons to wipe any enemy of the face of the Earth. No country is about to invade the U.S. The only possible use of this extraordinary military is to dominate the international order, to maintain the empire with Trump, presumably, as emperor.