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It is irrefutably clear to us that if we do not make substantial cuts in the projected levels of Pentagon spending, we will do substantial damage to our economy and dramatically reduce our quality of life…. We will make it clear to leaders of both parties that substantial reductions in military spending must be included in any future deficit reduction package. We pledge to oppose any proposal that fails to do so. In the short term, rebuilding our economy and creating jobs will remain our nation’s top priority. But it is essential that we begin to address the issue of excessive military spending in order to ensure prosperity in the future.
When those of us who care about the future of this country take a good look around, it’s difficult to avoid one very inescapable conclusion. No matter how much some folks whine about the deficit and government spending, nothing will change until we get a handle on what we spend on our military.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not advocating that we withdraw within our borders and leave the rest of the world to fend for themselves. The problem, though, is that the rest of the world has withdrawn within their borders and is perfectly happy letting us pay the freight as we protect them. How we ended up as the world’s moral policeman is a question with many answers, but there’s one very simple solution: it’s time to tell the rest of the world that they need to pay their share of the bill. Either defend yourself, or pay a greater share of the costs we incur while protecting you.
I’m no fan of Ron Paul (his son’s a world-class idiot), but when he and Barney Frank combine forces to try and reign in defense spending, even I have to sit up and take notice. They both precede from the same starting point:
Immediately after World War II, with much of the world devastated and the Soviet Union becoming increasingly aggressive, America took on the responsibility of protecting virtually every country that asked for it. Sixty-five years later, we continue to play that role long after there is any justification for it, and currently American military spending makes up approximately 44% of all such expenditures worldwide. The nations of Western Europe now collectively have greater resources at their command than we do, yet they continue to depend overwhelmingly on American taxpayers to provide for their defense. According to a recent article in the New York Times, “Europeans have boasted about their social model, with its generous vacations and early retirements, its national health care systems and extensive welfare benefits, contrasting it with the comparative harshness of American capitalism. Europeans have benefited from low military spending, protected by NATO and the American nuclear umbrella.”
That’s right; 44 cents of every dollar spent on things military worldwide comes out of the pockets of American taxpayers. Why aren’t countries like Britain, France, etc., paying their fair share…or at least a greater share of the burden? Well, perhaps because we’ve never expected, much less asked them to. To their credit, they’ve used this windfall to build up their economies and their social service delivery system…into something that many Americans would deride as “Socialism”.
If we’re to be serious about reducing our national deficit, getting spending under control, and learning to live within our means, we simply cannot continue to function as the world’s watchdog. We have crushing needs here at home, and yet we have military bases spread all over the world, too often in places that yield no strategic benefit to us.
After 9.11, The Worst President EVER © sold us on the idea that a pre-emptive war in Iraq was necessary to protect the security of the American Homeland. As it turns out, nothing could have been farther from the truth (and yes, if a Democrat was guilty of such deception, he’d be on trial as an accused war criminal). Iraq had no WMDs, nothing to do with 9.11, and little to do with anti-American terrorism in general. Seven-plus years, $700 billion, and almost 4500 American deaths later…and we’re arguably worse off than before the war began.
We can, and we must, fix this unbalanced and horribly impractical and irresponsible state of affairs. America simply cannot afford to continue accepting the self-assigned responsibility of protecting the entire world. The era of projecting American power worldwide is no longer feasible, practical, or affordable. We simply must demand that other countries shoulder (and pay for) their share of the burden. We can, should, and must stand ready to assist our allies in time of need, but until and unless that happens, we cannot continue to pay bills that our allies can, should, and must be expected to cover going forward.
Given the vast amount of money we spend (and in far too many cases, waste) on defense, it stands to reason that we should be taking a long, hard look at our role in the world and what costs we’re willing and able to continue to bear. There’s no reason why we should continue to maintain bases in so many far-flung places, not when so many countries would prove themselves able…if only we made it clear that we expect them to do exactly that.
No one is talking about taking money from our troops, skimping on equipment, training, or anything else needed to maintain the highest levels of readiness. The thing is, though, that this can be done while we cut spending on programs, bases, and weapons systems that we simply don’t need and realize little benefit from. If we make equipping and training our troops and their enhancing their ability to protect the Homeland Job One, there’s no reason that we can’t find ways to save billions…or as Reps. Paul and Frank propose, $1 trillion over the next 10 years. That’s real money, y’all…and it could make a real difference here at home.
If Americans- all of us, regardless of which side of the political fence we happen to occupy- aren’t willing to demand that our government take a good, long look at reigning in military spending, we have little hope of solving our economic problems. To me, this isn’t an issue of Left or Right, Liberal or Conservative, Democrat or Republican. It’s about the continued survival of America and the kind of country we want to be. Whether red, blue…or something in between:
WE DESERVE BETTER.
