What if We Had no Army?

Did you know that there are 23 countries around the world that have no standing military force?  That is to say, that they do not have any form of a military that is being trained and maintained on a daily basis?  I did not until I stumbled upon an article about Andorra today.

Andorra is a small European country nestled between France and Spain.  Though it may be small, it's still a European country.  A continent where both of our World Wars were waged.  You'd think having an army would be a good idea in such a place... but they haven't had a standing army in over 700 years!

South and Central American countries like Panama and Costa Rica dissolved their armies in the 20th century, and as a result Costa Rica is the location of the United Nations University for Peace.

Iceland, another country without a military, also uses their lack of armed forces for a greater good having created a Crisis Response Unit which aids in the efforts to maintain peace in areas of conflict like the Middle East.

Furthermore, there are financial advantages to not having a military.  The US spends 130% more every year on its defense and security budget than Costa Rica does.

Other countries that do not maintain an army include: "Lichtenstein, the Vatican, Samoa, Nauru, Kiribati.... Haiti, Monaco, Mauritius, [and] Vanuatu."  That said, all of these nations are small and/or islands.  In addition, many have signed defense treaties with neighboring super-powers in the event of an invasion.

Don't get me wrong, I am eternally grateful to our armed forces and what they sacrifice for us every day.  But it got me thinking.... is it possible for the US to not have an army?  If we were defenseless it seems like it would go against humanity for another superpower to attack us. Or, take it step further, what if no one had an army?  If these small countries can do it, maybe we all could and that would be a huge step toward peace throughout the world.