You make excellent points. We do need to maintain a standing army in order to properly manage and operate our modern strategic defenses. And that, of course, does not mean it is wise or prudent for our standing army to be inserted in to every crisis in the world. However, I think the “no standing army” folks are dreaming if they think we can rely on part-time soldiers to adequately defend our country.
I am perfectly happy with congress having the power to declare war, and I think the war powers act should be repealed or at the very least be revised to place more limits on the president’s ability to send U.S. troops in to harms way. If an offensive war outside the United States is justified, then the United States congress should declare war.
We keep confusing the terms “defense” and “offense”.
For defense...a rifle armed citizenry pretty much makes that nation very safe from invasion. The Reich somehow never found time to attack Switzerland. The only other “threat” is sudden annihilation via ICBMs. Add in a Navy and an Air Force and you can defend against that via ABMs, and MAD. The plains indian threat is pretty much gone so a miniscule army is fine.
But for OFFENSE, to be running around the world invading 6 to 8 countries at anytime, and starting retarded wars for the benefit of the EU, the King of Saudi Arabia, and anyone else that asks... you do need a giant military and a large standing army.