November 28, 2011 (2:19)
The deficit reduction super committee’s failure to reach consensus is set to trigger $1.2 trillion in cuts to the federal budget. Half will be cut out of defense and the other half domestic programs.
The Republicans are talking about saving defense which got a 40 per cent increase in spending after 911 and that did not include appropriations for Iraq or Afghanistan.
The US is withdrawing from Iraq and Afghanistan will wind down in the next 5 years.
Another issue is the threat. We are trading partners with China and Russia, who would love to sell its goods in the US. Neither country is interested in war with the US.
China spends one sixth of what the US spends on defense. Russia spends about one twelfth. Al Qaeda has been eliminated as threat, perhaps 200 of their faithful are left.
Does the US need to spend big bucks buying and fielding aircraft, tanks and ships. No, conventional war is less likely than ever. Low Intensity Conflict (LIC) and special operations seems to be the name of game.
Does the US need to be able to fight two wars at once. No, it would be better to fight one good war that we win than two that we lose. When was the last time the US actually won a war?
Oh, the DoD and the generals will whine about the cuts, but the Armed Services will always have the budget it needs in a real emergency.
Former Senator Mike Gavel said this about the United States:
The US is like a drunkard who charges to war with anyone who might pose a threat.
Phony triumphalism has turned into a device to make Americans live in fear of a terrorist attack, yet you are a thousand times more likely to catch cancer than ever be hurt by that.
For sure. Terrorism is a fact of life and the belief the US needs to spend billions to deter every possible terrorist attack is a canard. We spend about 4.7 per cent of our gross domestic product on defense and two per cent on infrastructure. China spends 9 per cent of its GDP on infrastructure.
One day history may remember the US as a bunch of war monkeys and the Chinese as builders. Hopefully we will change our ways.
--The Major
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