MARCUSBURG - A flurry of military construction has plunged most of the world into recession, as consumers stop spending and start saving in preparation for a future war even though no conflict is in sight.
Ever since the swift Rattanjeetarr defeat in the War of 2K2, the Mapp has seen a continued period of prosperity resulting in unprecedented economic growth. Time and time again treasuries surpassed the ten billion alto mark and construction went on unabated, leading to two land rushes and an ever increasing world population.
However, with countries awash in cash, many decided to invest in their militaries. Although militarism has always been rampant, as more and more money filled the coffers, governments simply could not resist devoting entire budgets to their militaries. Superbases, once the envy of all nations, are no longer so super as presidents and prime ministers around the Mapp rush to build one, two, or three of their own. Even Riksholmic powers have quietly built up their armed forces waiting for the day of Neorikspolitik when new jets and warships that today stand empty will be manned.
According to Congressional Parliament, in the past month a staggering seven superbases have been constructed. Already the Gorditans, Hanseatese, Lindsholmians, and Marcureans have over a million troops each with the latter two rapidly approaching two million. Without Riksholmic limitations, Rattanjeetland and Samchorage-Wendorra have similar military capacities.
The economic meltdown began when a Congressional inquiry uncovered faulty accounting practices that involved under-reporting military spending in order to conceal a vicious international arms race. When news hit the airwaves, consumers were sent into a panic, as people on the Mapp are no longer as accustomed to warfare as their parents or grandparents.
The reasons behind the arms race are many. There is no doubt that the nations of the GX - Gorditas, Lindsholm, and Marcusburg - have an overwhelming military force in the current geopolitical arrangement. Many countries are simply trying to narrow the military gap; while others who are fearful of the former two's aggressive reputation and the latter's ambivalence are spending in self-defense.
In turn, the GX powers then suspect those nations of warmongering and increase defense budgets accordingly. Not surprisingly, even pacifists and rationalists such as Siggary and the Hanseatic League have been drawn into this vicious cycle to avoid getting left behind and becoming militarily vulnerable.
Many see no end to the arms race, as the Mapp appears locked in a game of deterrence and cat-and-mouse. To make matters worse, the tanking world economy has resulted in a huge deflation that makes it easier to not only build museums and airports but missile silos and superbases as well.
As a final note, analysts also suspect that the arms race also has deep technological roots. In this field the GX also has superiority due to the enormous knowledge sharing network known as the Technopact. Analysts suspect that in addition to the military gap, other nations are trying to narrow this technological gap as well. However, details are sketchy at best as countries guard their military science closely and very little, if anything, is rarely revealed to the media.
