Reply #12: In late 18th Century America, it was possible and desirable. But,

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in the early 21st Century, even Switzerland maintains a standing army and Air Force.

The alternative today would be further outsourcing and privatization of the military. I think we'll all agree here, those are hardly desirable trends.

A certain amount of downsizing in some force categories would be desirable, but, I just don't see how we could altogether disband the military. Not in today's world, not unless we lived in a very different world and a very different America.