Good defense policy: Is less better?

[alexwcovington]

Terrorism cannot be fought through traditional military means because it is not as some would say, a war, rather the situation is more like organized crime.

Terrorism is a crime, not an act of war, and should be treated accordingly.

Otherwise, there are no significant threats (of invasion) to the United States from anywhere in the world, with the possible exception of China.

Coupled with an increased unwillingness to send troops overseas, what sense does it make to keep a monolithic military juggernaut when all we really need is a deterrent from outright invasion and the precision strike forces to nip emergent threats in the bud?

So, my proposal is to shelve the entire regular Army and place them basically into reserve, in the unlikely event of an actual invasion.

The Navy, Marines, and Air Force should continue operations as they generally do, but whatever isn't necessary for fast deployment of precisely targeted attacks should be put on reserve as well.

The nuclear forces should continue operations until such time as we have a better weapon to replace the nuke (say, pure fusion or an antimatter device) -- this would serve as a deterrent.

This would save tons of money, reduce spending now and in the future, and make it a lot cheaper to upgrade the active military, while still being able to call up massive reserves in case of a serious emergency.

Is it a good plan?

[Kinkistyle]

1. Intelligence, Intelligence, Intelligence

and did I mention Intelligence? Let the CIA do what they do best - instead of trying to stifle and ruin it like Cheney is by exposing agents. I can't help but feel that the WH is getting rid of all the agents trying to do their jobs well, with people who are willing to "tow the company line" and give the Administration intelligence that it wants to here. I have read articles with agents saying that the WH has irreparably damaged the integrity of U.S. Intellegence agencies.

Re-establish good relations with our vital allies, and send out the spies. The CIA are ones who gave life to these terrorists, let them take it away.

[Forkboy]

2. Shelve the Army?

I like it but can you imagine the Joint Chiefs meeting when this one is announced :D

[Capt_Nemo]

3. Yes it definetly needs downsizing

I tell you what I would propose:


Stategic weapons

- Keep the strategic Nuke deterrent at a minimal level agreed upon
with the other powers posessing the strategic strike capability.
Sign a treaty, ratify and abide by it!

- End the triad concept, a wastefull redundancy. SSBNs are by far
the best platform for this mission. Bombers converted into long
range conventional strike would help downsize Navy (I'll go into it
later). ICBMs would be completely scrapped. This move would be unilateral in a positive way.

- Scrap the Missile Defense white elephant. Agree with the other
nuclear powers a successor to the defunct ABM.

- Forget space related sci-fi stuff. Air Force is a serious business,
not kids playing Flash Gordon at the taxpayers expense.


Air Force

- Keep F-22 for it is too late to do away with the program now without
hurting USAF capability. Give up the development of the fancier
avionics, that would make it more affordable.

- Scrap the JSF. Buy F-16 Block 60, develop (long term) UCAVs for the
strike role instead. Continualy upgrade F-16s and F-15s on the
inventory.

- All long range bombers converted to conventional strike role.
begin work on long range UCAV for substitution of B-52 later in the
century.

- Scrap several overseas bases. At the very least all of those in the
ME and Central Asia.

- No mini-nukes


Navy/Marines

- Decrease surface fleet to 2 permanent Carrier Battle Groups (for
power projection, to protect the coast no stinking carriers are
needed), one based in the Atlantic Coast another on the Pacific.
6 CVNs would be kept, the rest and the unnecessary escorts would be
scrapped, although some of the escorts could go into defending the
US coast with part of the SSN force.

- Slow down procurement of SSNs. Get into the bandwagon of diesel/AIP
subs, it would open EB and Litton new markets, you know? SSBNs
unnecessary in the framework of an above proposed treaty would be
turned into "arsenal ships". The power packed into them would
enable to decrease the size of surface battlegroups.

- Forget JSF. Stick with the SuperHornet, it's a lemmon but it was
Navy's mismanagement of new aircraft programs in the last 20 years
that prevented it to get a better plane... tough luck! Get over it!
Develop (long term) UCAVs for the strike role instead.

- End the Osprey once and for all.

- No mini-nukes

ARMY

- End permanent foreign deployements EVERYWHERE and give back the
bases to the countries where they are located. The homecoming troops that can be integrated in the Continental US defense would be kept
all others would go back to be civilians.

- Don't waste money in supposedly advanced weaponry based on faulty
concepts. High-tech is not getting you very far in Iraq and the
Army shouldn't be a pork generator.

- All air defence systems existing or in development should comply
with the above proposed anti ballistic missile weaponry treaty. Those
that don't should be eliminated.

- No mini-nukes.


I think this proposal would spare the US taxpayers a lot of money and
still give defense contractors a "carrot" in order to cooperate with
the downsizing of the US military. What do you think? Criticism and
suggestions are welcome.

[tritsofme]

4. Those are great ideas,

I know it, and most people here know it, but if a candidate campaigned saying these things I think he'd be eaten alive.

How do you explain to the sheeple that you "hate the military" and that you want America to be "weaker"?

[Justice]

5. Clark Can Say It, and Has Said It

Clark is the candidate who can reshape the military and our defense department. He says republicans love weapons, democrats love people.

Clark would be able to cut the defense budget considerably by cutting out waste and funding for these weapon projects. At the same time, Clark would take care of the people in the military with good pay, living conditions, family benefits etc.

Clark can do this credibly - no other candidate can without being attacked as you say.

[tritsofme]

7. Ill agree that if anyone could do it, possibly Clark,

but what makes you think the repukes, that will most probably still control the House, let this get through?

Dont ya know theres' a war on?

[Capt_Nemo]

6. I know what you are talking about

But it will happen sooner or later.
The US is currently spending itself into oblivion, so if nobody
acts now, it will be forced to do it down the road.

[alexwcovington]

9. Good concept

although as far as the JSF is concerned...

I'm all for keeping our equipment modern and up-to-date... JSF has the added benefit that the entire military will use basically the same plane... drastically reducing maintenance costs in theory.

As for nuclear deterrent, I agree -- SSBNs are the best method but the missiles tend to be shorter range than the ICBMs that can hit any place on the planet from any place on the planet. I think it would be a good idea to look into upgrading the missiles in the submarines for global strike capability before abandoning ICBMs altogether.

Airplane delivery is a joke -- and the B-52s they're still keeping around are big, slow, and are too easy to spot on radar... that's definitely gona get the ax.

[el_gato]

8. the root cause of terrorism is meddling in the affairs of other nations

which is made possible by bloated "defense" spending
which has nothing to do with defense and everything
to do with raping the planet

read Gen. Smedley Butler's writings

[kerrygoddess]

10. chat now

Join us at 3 PM for a chat with Frank Lowenstein of our foreign policy team about John Kerry's speech today to the Council of Foreign Relations in New York. The title of the speech is “Making America Secure Again: Setting the Right Course for Foreign Policy," and the text will be up on the web site at 2 PM. You can find the text and a link to the chat at http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/clips/news_2003_1203.html

The direct link to the chat is: http://www.johnkerry.com/chat/index.html
The chat room will open shortly before 3 PM EST.