Conservatives usually try to assure that our military (and those of our allies) is strong, in order to deter, prevent wars (or terrorist attacks like from Gaza, PLO-Abbas, 911, and other Muslim murder gangs).
Leftists usually try to weaken our defenses (and use the money for domestic communism and additional restrictions, limitations on our individual liberties at home). Most wars break out under (or are created by) Democratic regimes, due in major part to their patent weakness — or simply because they deliberately build wars (Viet Nam comes to mind).
Of course those are generalizations and there are exceptions but anyway since 1900 or so I believe they are reasonably accurate summaries of what’s happened.
Israel needs to be visibly and actually very strong to deter any more serious attacks against her. I am all for military cooperation and aid for Jerusalem. But I would add that money could also be used to great benefit by moving the Fakestinian Arabs back to Arab countries instead of allowing or facilitating or enabling their continued Occupation of Israeli territories and adjacent attack staging areas. This would clearly prevent almost all Arab terrorist attacks on Israel (whether by PLO/Abbas, Hamas, Hezballah or any other evil Fakestinian murder gangs).
(Two additional benefits will be to deal with the ringleaders who make these attacks (Egypt and Arabia know how to deal with their own much much better than Israel does!), and to return those peaceable people (essentially captives now) to their own Muslim societies where they can be free of the PLO, Hamas type gangs and their threats — and where they can make proper lives for themselves.)
Thoughtful and deep post.. I’m not sure about your conclusions.
My instinct is to let them fight it out. I think Israel can deal with their enemies and should be allowed to without interference.
The problem you illustrate:
Right want strong defense and left weak defense for more social spending.
This is a problem because -as Rand points out - they (politicians) compromise UPWARDS and spend money on BOTH..
Money they don’t have I might add and which is borrowed.