Via Matt Y., a really handy chart to pull out next time your favorite winger suggests Iran is an existential threat.
| UNITED STATES | IRAN | |
| Population | 303,824,646 (July 2008 est.) | 65,875,223 (July 2008 est.) |
| Gross Domestic Product (GDP) | $13.8 trillion (2007 est.) | $0.75 trillion (2007 est.) |
| Defense spending fiscal year 2009 (% of global total) |
$711 billion (includes Iraq/Afghanistan) 48.4% |
$7.2 billion 0.5% |
| Total troops | 2,580,875 (1,498,157 active + 1,082,718 reserve) |
895,000 (545,000 active + 350,000 reserve) |
| GROUND FORCES | ||
| Main battle tanks | 8,023 (7,620 Army + 403 Marines) |
1,613 Army |
| Reconnaissance vehicles | 348 (96 Army + 252 Marines) |
35 Army |
| Armored infantry fighting vehicles | 6,719 Army | 610 Army |
| Armored personnel carriers | 21,242 (19,931 Army + 1,311 Marines) |
640 Army |
| Artillery units | 8,041 (6,530 Army + 1,511 Marines) |
8,196 Army |
| Helicopters | 5,425 (4,086 Army + 588 Navy + 603 Marines + 148 Air Force, excludes Coast Guard) |
311 (223 Army + 30 Navy + 34 Air Force + 24 paramilitary) |
And on and on. Notes Matt:
It’s worth avoiding nuclear proliferation in Iran because, in general, the continued spread of nuclear weapons poses serious risks for the world. But that’s a far cry from saying that Iran is, as such, any kind of serious military threat.
