Posted on 06/08/2013 4:34:43 AM PDT by Olog-hai
The United States is at a crossroads, and the American people must consider carefully an issue that has been creeping up on us for two decades. For most of the past 70 years, America enjoyed unquestioned naval global superiority, and we could be confident that the U.S. Navy could establish and sustain maritime dominance wherever and whenever needed.
However, since the early 1990s, Americas Navy has been in decline with our fleet shrinking from almost 600 ships to just 283 ships by the end of 2012. Now in 2013, President Obama has announced a new defense strategy for America that threatens to accelerate the continued decline of U.S. naval power, particularly relative to a burgeoning Chinese fleet.
In the years after World War II, Great Britains military declined to a point where the British Army and the Royal Navy were (and remain) a shadow of what they used to be. Great Britains power and influence around the world waned in parallel, and the once-feared Royal Navy atrophied into what can perhaps best be described as a coastal defense force.
Is the United States headed down the same path today? Like Great Britain, America is under tremendous fiscal pressure and, as in Great Britain, powerful voices are pushing for drastic cuts in defense spendingsome in order to avoid drastic reductions in social spending and others in order to stem further expansion of our national debt.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
"My mission is accomplished, by allah"
President Palin or Cruz will reverse the decline. I have no doubt about that. Back to a 500 ship Navy and 30 Army divisions, with hundreds of Air Force squadrons and 6 Marine divisions and at least 200,000 special operators at any one time.
Perhaps you are right, I too believe that a strong defense is essential to our security in the world. My problem has been the tendency to always use it. Either for peace-keeping or regime change or what-not. And in my view the regimes of the middle east, Cough-Saudi’s-Cough, look upon American forces as their mercenaries.
The bigger the current navy, the more of a presence of Islamofascist/Marxism in the world. We can wait till we get an American Commander in Chief, again.
Look, I love Sarah Palin. Cruz is OK. But I can’t share your optimism.
The truth is, even IF the GOP establishment allows either of these two to run, the Dems will just steal another election. The GOP is not even willing or able to put IRS criminals in jail who attack their constituency.
But, lets suppose that A MIRACLE HAPPENS. Palin is allowed to run.....and even wins. The truth is that only wealthy, solvent countries can create and pay for the kind of military you are talking about. We’re 17 Trillion in debt now......by 2017 that figure will be closer to 24 Trillion. No way in hell we will be able to rebuild the military......even assuming you are able to undo all the social engineering that’s been done.
AMERICA IS GONE! We gave the other side too much time in power.
Rule of law. gone.
Constitution. ignored.
Public treasury. destroyed.
Greatest military on earth. Eliminated from within and without.
Its gone bro. I’m really sorry. But the sooner we all accept it, the sooner we can get on with our lives.....such as they are.
There must be war
Really think (don’t feel) about it. With the total corruption of the Federal Govt at this time do we want a large standing Army at the disposal of a despot?
With other major powers building up their militaries, the focus will shift away from domestic matters.
You forgot the mention the Death Star.
Bigger?
Watch how big the Islamofascist presence gets on the world scene once our navy gets smaller yet.
Shhhhh!
There must be regime change. Either by impeachment(don’t count on that). Secession and war (I do not see the resolve). Or wait till 2016 and take the country back with votes(the most probable). In the mean time we can’t let the pressure up with things like IRS and Benghazi.
Just MHO.
The hard truth is that we have been out-spending our ability to borrow and print money. When we exhaust our ability to pay for our military we will have to cut it back to a sustainable level. We will have to make a choice between paying for ObamaPhones and ships/tanks/airplanes.
Moreover, the vast level of money-printing has enabled politicians and bureaucrats to think it is easier and more trivial to go to war than it really is. Look at how easy it was to bomb Libya. Look at how quickly some on the left talked about intervention in Syria. There would be a lot less talk about the “Responsibility to Protect” (RTP) if our the size of our military was constrained by a balanced budget requirement.
You are correct. The liberal minds are currently a mixture of Imperialist America needs to be stopped or peace through weakness or Obama says we are ok. Many conservatives are not much better, living in the past or in a dreamworld.
Zer0 and his regime are letting the Islamics get HUGE! He funds it.
Where ya been?
When was the last time we had 30 divisions? I’d thought we were down around 12 or 15 as a general thing?
What does that have to do with the size of the US Navy?
I know what choice the liberals have made. Choosing between keeping our sovereignty and “Obamaphones”/SNAP cards is not a viable choice.
The Founders understood the danger of a standing army and put it in the Constitution that the People should be armed and the militia act in matters of domestic defense. A military should only exist in times of war. We’ve been at war for far too long apparently.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.