Cutting defense spending in the U.S.
Coming on the heels of $400 billion already cut from defense by the administration in its first two years, the Pentagon is looking at the prospect of trying to maintain a defense capability second to none, with global responsibilities and new threats on the horizon (Iran, China), shorn of $1.3 trillion over the next decade it expected to have just three years ago. It is simply not the case that defense has not been â??on the tableâ? when it comes to deficit reduction efforts. Indeed, military budgets have been on the table since the 1990sâ?? â??peace dividend.â? One only wishes that were also true for entitlements. - Gary Schmitt and Tom Donnelly
When you think about it, cutting U.S. defense spending is a bit like cutting entitlements - for other countries. Indeed, the authors concede as much when they cite America's "global responsibilities" as a reason to keep funneling tax dollars to their favored government bureaucracy. But I do agree that the way Congress has gone about discussing the defense budget is a bit unnerving. Discussions of cost should follow discussions of mission and U.S. grand strategy. Identifying arbitrary lump sums to cut doesn't make any sense.
