“To be prepared for war,” George Washington said, “is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.” President Ronald Reagan agreed with his forebear’s words, and peace through strength became a theme of his administration.
In the past four decades, the American arsenal helped secure that peace, but political neglect has led to its atrophy as other nations’ war machines have kicked into high gear. Most Americans do not realize the specter of great power conflict has risen again.
It is far past time to rebuild America’s military. We can avoid war by preparing for it.
Our military leaders are being forced to make impossible choices. The Navy is struggling to adequately fund new ships, routine maintenance and munition procurement; it is unable to effectively address all three. We recently signed a deal to sell submarines to Australia, but we’ve failed to sufficiently fund our own submarine industrial base, leaving an aging fleet unprepared to respond to threats. Two of the three most important nuclear modernization programs are underfunded and are at risk of delays. The military faces a backlog of at least $180 billion for basic maintenance, from barracks to training ranges. This projects weakness to our adversaries as we send service members abroad with diminished ability to respond to crises.
We need to grow the Navy to 357 ships by 2035 and halt our shrinking Air Force fleet by producing at least 340 additional fighters in five years.
Fortunately, we can change course. We can avoid that extreme vulnerability and resurrect American military might.
Regaining American strength will be expensive. But fighting a war — and worse, losing one — is far more costly. We need to begin a national conversation today on how we achieve a peaceful, prosperous and American-led 21st century.
The first step is a generational investment in the U.S. military.
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@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
Do you believe that a more powerful American military would make the world safer or more dangerous?
@9N6LQ722yrs2Y
I believe that any country with access to nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction will always be dangerous. a more powerful military of any country is also a more dangerous one.
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
If increasing military funding could potentially prevent war, would you support higher military spending despite other domestic needs?
@9N6LQ722yrs2Y
the word potentially poses an issue. if the threat is immediate and substantial then yes.
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
Considering the trade-offs in budget allocation, what priority should military readiness have compared to healthcare, education, and infrastructure?
@9N6MTD72yrs2Y
Stop funding militaries, and especially double triple for the US' tyrannical one
@ISIDEWITH2yrs2Y
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