On: Two weeks in, the Webb Space Telescope is reshaping astronomy

[signatoremo]

How can you possibly know how much a country spent on military to conclude they almost never understate their funding?

A perfect reason a country may understate their military spending is to hide their capabilities. For that matter, they may overstate their spending as well.

[HeyLaughingBoy → signatoremo]

You have to ask yourself why a country would want to hide (as in demote) their capabilities.

Overstating their capabilities is perfectly understandable.