We could, and we did, under Reagan. Now after 20 years of "moderates", Clinton and the Bushes, we may or may not be able to. Entitlements are eating up ever larger parts of the budget, and of the economy. No one seems to even *want* to do anything about the growth of the "untouchable" part of the budget. Not much is left over to spend on the military. We import most of our "black gold" and products made from it. The Russians export it.
It's they who could economically cripple the west, at least Western Europe.
And the speaker of the House is out to "Save the Planet", rather than "Save the US".
Some of us are working to reverse that trend. I pray quite a bit.
LLS