You said:...

"I'd be happy if our budget had only quadrupled since 1910"

Come on DEAN!? You are much smarter than that sophomoric assessment!?

The budget of a country of 76 million people, mostly farmers, on the cusp of entering the industrial revolution, is far less demading than the budget of a WORLD DOMINANT EMPIRE of 304 million people who have AIRCRAFT CARRIERS one of which costs more than the entire buget of the AMERICA of 100 years ago...Lol...Lol...

Gil...