I agree that the US has lost the "vision" of building a military that can win. The Military Industrial Complex has taken on a life of it's own where the goal is to make money, not make weapons that the US actually needs.
To be "fair" the US is not concerned about defending the 50 states, as their security against invasion is taken for granted. Instead, the US is concerned about exerting control in foreign countries, and that can't be done with "defensive" or strategic weaponry alone. You need military bases, personnel, and a fleet waiting offshore. Since Russia is no longer interested or capable of exerting foreign influence, their focus has been defensive with their S-300/400 systems, advanced torpedoes and strategic nuke weapons, all of which serve as a defensive deterrent.
The US has a massive "defense" budget, but most of it gets wasted. I.e. the F-35 program.
The reason why America is lagging is leadership. The American government is owned by people who are robbing us blind. $21 trillion went missing from DOD and HUD. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFHPNnYkBQc