Can defense spending be restrained?
Not without political will. There was huge restraint from 1985 to 2000. It staggered me, because Congress can’t do anything coherent or consistent for that long of a time period. But they did. It provided enormous restraint on defense. However, the restraint wasn’t about U.S. national security, it was articulated as “deficit reduction.” Better still, it forced the armed services to make choices and set priorities. Today, they don’t do that. They ask for everything. And Congress gives it to them, happily echoing the sentiment that the military is overstressed and that all of the country’s military equipment needs to be reset–mostly out of fear of appearing soft on defense and not supportive of the troops. Now, if the economy continues to struggle and the deficit becomes overwhelming again, I can imagine a shift in political will, with Congress saying, “Enough already!
