[Calvin Cooledge]

I remember seeing a retired general years ago on Johnny Carson saying that we could greatly reduce cost by relying primarily on nuclear weapons. For example, after 9/11, just nuke Kabul. No carriers, no troops, and certainly no nation building.

[BroJoeK]

Calvin Cooledge: "I remember seeing a retired general years ago on Johnny Carson saying that we could greatly reduce cost by relying primarily on nuclear weapons."

I well remember, that's how Pres. Lyndon Johnson defeated Sen. Barry Goldwater (who was an Air Force General) in 1964 -- by claiming that Goldwater intended to start a nuclear war.
And there was some truth in it, since Goldwater had recommended we threaten to nuke Moscow if it didn't stop supporting the North Vietnamese.

Americans in 1964 were not willing to support threatening nuclear war against the Old Soviet Union:

1964 Daisy Girl ad defeated Goldwater in a landslide: