An idea
A current advertsing campaign emphasises the fact that politics effects us all, both directly and indirectly.
The recent events in Saudi Arabia have led to speculation, which in turn has caused oil prices to rise. This gets passed on to the consumer. Surely this is proof positive than security issues effect us in our everyday lives.
In a crisis, being able to respond by deploying forces reduces uncertainty. Uncertainty is dangerous from any economic view. Thus not having forces to deploy will lead to higher oil prices, higher shipping insurance, and higher costs for both raw materials and manufactured goods that are imported. The costs of exports may may be adversely affected.
Current talk of protests over the cost of fuel underline how sensitive this issue is to the public.
For Joe Public, spending a little extra on defence may well be cheaper than paying higher prices for everything. Is is not time he was told?