bonsai army

In reference to the small size and decorative nature of bonsai plants.

bonsai army (plural bonsai armies)

1. A sovereign state's army or military force that is small and could be considered merely "for decoration". A bonsai army is not large enough to fundamentally protect a country.

   Without Soviet support surrounding the missile crisis, Cuba's military would have been merely a bonsai army and they would have quickly succumbed to any serious invasion from the west.

2. A tiny, largely ornamental (military) structure bereft of the capability to effectively carry out its constitutional missions.
3. A military that covers the entire spectrum of capabilities but has virtually no external military clout.

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