The New York Times, never really in their element when it comes to national security, decided to lend their defense expertise to the masses this past weekend. I must admit, their editorial — How to Pay for a 21st Century Military— was immensely edifying, in that we learn the Old Gray Lady feels that the best way to pay our defense bill is by not paying it at all. Their plan includes cutting just about every major next-gen weapon system, the F-22 Raptor, the DD-1000 destroyer, the Virginia-class submarine, missile defense, and the V-22 Osprey — which has been of immeasurable use to our Marines in Iraq, and will no doubt play a key role in our coming Afghanistan offensive. Also proposed is deep cuts to our strategic nuclear arsenal, including the removal of all ICBMs from hair-trigger alert. Credit to the Times, they were aggressive and thorough when addressing the what, but failed to offer an acceptable why. The key justification for these sweeping cuts (in a time of war, no less), was to save money. Notably absent was any mention of how their proposals would help America win the war on terrorism or help us prevent potential future wars. That why is, or at least should be, the central argument in any force-posturing debate. Russia, for example, has aggressively upgraded its nuclear forces in the past few years, to include deploying a new class of ballistic missile submarine, new ICBMs, new warheads, and new nuclear bombers. China, another nuclear power which has the ability to strike most major US cities, is also in the middle of a hyper-aggressive military modernization plan. No one wants or expects war with either of these powers in the near future. However military realists understand that preparing for war -however expensive- is far cheaper than having to actually wage a war. The Times’ plan proposes a staggering decrease in the US’s military capabilities, covering the full spectrum of warfare — from the tactical level all the way up to the strategic. That sharply reduces the gap between potential near-peer competitors’ Armed Forces and our own, ultimately increasing the likelihood of a classic state v. state war. Enter the deeply insightful wisdom of President Ronald Reagan, who famous quipped — Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong. Peace through superior firepower also works. H/T – Defense Tech, which adds —
