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Defense and Homeland Security 2/4/2004 9:35:14 AM
The Bush administration wants to place both of the above in a lockbox, inviolate, which cannot be challenged or questioned. We are facing huge deficits, though, and it might be as simple to short-circuit.
There is much debate on the Issue, but most Economists assume about 65% of the increase of fiscal spending from Y2001-Y2004 has been in Defense and Homeland Security spending. What exactly are We buying?
Defense spending increases come from three major sources: development of new Weapons systems, the Occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, and replenishment of Weapons stockpiles. The middle element can be somewhat dismissed: We are there, and the Costs will remain as long as the political decision to remain. The Author, though, believes unilateral withdrawal could be the best course to adopt; it will force World reaction, and force internal elements in Iraq and Afghanistan to cooperate in some manner. It is an Option, and Someone has to state it.
The development of new Weapons systems stands as a huge expense in the military budget, and an element which can be restrained. Most of the Weapons systems on the current board are not designed for any Opposition now present in the World. They are Weapons systems designed to operate against a advanced military opposition equivalent to the U.S. military. Such an organization does not exist, and would require many years of concentrated spending to come into being. U.S. military spending on new Weapons development could be cut to One-tenth of its current level, without any threat presented to the United States.
The replensishment of Munitions stockpiles could also be seriously cut, though all military leadership would deny this charge. The Stockpile levels were set in an Era of competing SuperPowers--an Age now gone. We could cut total stockpiled Munitions to One-Quarter of current levels, and still be within a two-month Combat Readiness status.
Homeland Security suffers from a huge bureaucratic nightmare, where top Executives and Middle-Managers seem to get hired at four times the rate of field officers. Its efficiency is highly questionable, and will not likely improve unless Congressional oversight is used. The best way is to curtail Funding, until real Policy initiatives are outlined with scaled hiring practices.
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