Strategic Solvency

Linking solvency with defense strategy is something that has not been practiced in this country in the 21st century. Richard Betts, from Columbia and the Council of Foreign Relations, does make the link in the current issue of Foreign Affairs. Essentially, Betts argues that our defense policy has been based on fear rather than a clear view of just what our challenges are. Further, the real challenges are not necessarily going to be solved by spending more and more money.

Of course, Betts has to address the argument that the share of GDP spent on defense today is quite a bit less than that of the Cold War days. Betts points out that such an argument is one-sided in that it focuses only on spending and does not consider the "scope of commitments, the choice of strategy, and the degree of risk accepted", all of which are relevant to the issue. Further, the defense budget has increased at an annual rate greater than 6% in the past ten years; that's larger than any other decade since WWII.

Betts takes the straightforward position that the military does not always need the latest and greatest weapons; it needs weapons that can counter the enemies' capabilities. He considers finding terrorists as being a major challenge; what is needed is intelligence and special ops, not a hydrogen bomb.

Betts worries that we may be investing a huge amount of money in weapons that, when needed, will be technologically obsolete. And we've seen that our belligerent attitude has generated a fair amount of hostility and resistance to us around the world.