Making the democratic case for missile capacity

Can non-authoritarian governments justify major peacetime spending on missile-production capacity?

Yes, if leaders openly explain the risk and treat capacity as strategic insurance rather than hiding the tradeoff.

The proposed democratic case treats spare missile-production capacity as insurance against an emergency. Like house insurance, it costs money even when the event it protects against never happens. Its purpose is to preserve capacity that would be needed in a crisis. Justifying that expense requires a frank public conversation about risk and preparedness. Public pressure and historical education are suggested as ways to make that conversation harder to avoid.