America’s history is plagued by a succession of conflicts for which we have been unprepared or insufficiently committed, having succumbed to the belief that peace is a guarantee of its own existence. Over the last century, from the beginning of the Korean War to post-Vietnam, the military has too often been forced to do more with less, and each time ultimately required a significant expenditure in both blood and wealth to bring them back from the brink. With significant defense cuts already during his tenure, President Obama has recently proposed …
When sitting down to write a family budget for the year, the typical first step is to list what the family will need and from there budget accordingly. So, too, is the theory for the yearly national budget. In the case of defense, however, President Obama has done things backwards. With his proposed $400 billion in spending cuts, the President has decided to reduce our nation’s defense without regard to the responsibilities and threats our military deals with on a daily basis. In her recent article in Politico, Mackenzie Eaglen …
A government that sacrifices the long-term security of its own people in a vain attempt to appease its enemies of today cannot be said to protect either liberty or security. In his speech at 2011 CPAC, former Governor Tim Pawlenty (R–MN) repeatedly underlined this point. His comments were a strong reminder that we will “never, ever, ever, stop fighting for our freedom” and that in this fight we must maintain an “extraordinary commitment” to the cause. Diplomacy is effective only if it can be enforced. Negotiating from a position of …
