Important Defense Issues for the 21st Century are not all that different from past Defense Issues. However, globalization and technology require that we evaluate needs in a different light. The core function of the military is to defend us from invasion from foreign powers that would step upon our soil and do us harm. Technology and Terrorism have changed the equation to require that we redefine how we are to meet new challenges. The oceans no longer provide the degree of safety we once felt could protect us. Long gone are the days of thinking that we do not need a standing army. Also long gone are the times when under-developed countries could pose a threat. As the progress of Globalization marches forward, our ever expanding involvement with the world has increasingly caused us to blur the line between our legitimate national security interests and our competitiveness in international markets. The role of Defense has been lost somewhere in between. As we stretch our military beyond its intended purpose, we have exposed a soft underbelly that is more vulnerable to attack than it was previously.
IMO, an orderly analysis of Defense Issues must determine where the two areas of Public Policy, e.g. Foreign Policy and Domestic Policy, converge. The role that the military plays in each of the two distinct areas will be different. It is important to know those differences if we are to have a military that is both prepared and prepares Americans for challenges. Yes, I believe the military has the dual role to be ready for eventualities and to also get people ready for eventualities. It would be a foolish mistake to think that superior technology alone can answer all the questions. If potential adversaries decide to knock out our satellites, where will we be then?
It has been confusing to lump both Foreign Policy considerations in with Domestic Policy considerations as we discuss and debate Defense Issues. I would like to try something different here so as to give us a way to look at what kind of Defense is the best for America. I will start off by itemizing the considerations that have been discussed and debated regarding Defense Issues in relation to Foreign Policy. The need for a more mature Foreign Policy is of course essential but, my goal is to merely point out what has already been said so that we can confine our discussions here to the Defense Issues as they relate to Domestic Policy, while keeping our thoughts about Foreign Policy in the back of our minds. The reason for doing this is to come to a better understanding of where the two policies converge. IMO, this method will help us to define our Defense Issues, in terms of National Interests, better.
This list of Foreign Policy considerations is by no means exhaustive. The items listed here are Foreign Policy Issues against a backdrop of current realities and potential situations. These items represent policy measures as well as proposed policy. These items have been discussed by delegates and are central to illuminating the breadth of the topic, Defense Issues. These items impact the conduct of Foreign Policy and the composition of our defense forces either directly or indirectly.
- National Security
- Treaties (Defense, Economic, Environment, etc.)
- Allies
- Pre-emptive military strikes
- Sovereign Nations
- Nations that pose threats to worldwide and regional stability
- World's Policeman
- Free Markets/Trade
- Under Developed Countries (i.e. Foreign Aid)
- Hot Spots/Regional (e.g. Middle East - Iraq War)
- Foreign Policy Grand Strategy (e.g. multi-dimensional, diplomatic, economic, etc. based on positive mutual self-interest as opposed to unilateral knee-jerk military solutions)
- Terrorism
- WMD/Nuclear Proliferation
- International Cooperation/U.N./Organizations (World Bank, etc.)
While this list is not exhaustive, it should illustrate that there are implications for the Domestic side of the Defense Issues that go beyond just the military. In light of progressing globalization and technology, it is in the National Security Interest of Americans to redefine what it means to be a participant in a world that has outgrown previous definitions for Defense Issues. If America is to be a leader in the 21st century we have no choice but to make adjustments at home. Sticking with obsolete defnitions of Domestic Defense Issues will be a call to a new Isolationism and Protectionism. Such a call will signal the beginning of the end as history teaches us about the failures of such thinking. If we continue current trends, globalization and technology will permit the rest of the world to pass us by.
IMO we must address the following Domestic Defense Issues:
- Mandatory National Service - As the world becomes smaller, Americans are becoming individual Ambassadors in the world community. A sense of urgency is waiting for us to coalesce with one united voice. We can no longer indulge in obsolete thinking that arbitrarily separates civil liberties from citizenship responsibilities. An all volunteer military is not consistent with freedom; nor is the neglect of a strong sense of community good for a unified Domestic Defense. A key component to National Service must be to promote education.
- Economic Justice - While it is important to embark upon a Foreign Policy that seeks to win the hearts and minds of other peoples around the world, we must also win the hearts and minds of Americans. As the dwindling middle class struggles to stay even, the growing disparity between the haves and have nots continues to shred the fabric that was once the strength of America. Too many look to the stock market as the indicator of America's prosperity. We need to ameliorate the exploitation that cosmopolitan corporations and the haves can inflict on Americans through manipulation of our political system.
- Reinvigorate/Diversify Infrastructure - While roads, bridges, and railways are infrastructure items important to defense, it is the strength of our economic infrastructure that is the greatest cause for concern. The National Debt, underfunded Entitlements, and our drift to a service based economy threaten our ability to maintain a strong defense. A combination Intellectual - Service based economy is not diverse enough to support a strong defense system. Expansion of free markets at the expense of our ability to make things is not a good strategy at all. A balance needs to be struck so that we don't outsource our security.
These are my thoughts about what constitute Defense Issues of importance. While the size and composition of our military are often what people think about when it comes to defense, a re-investment into Americans is the strongest defense we could ever hope to achieve. My thoughts about the best defense inevitably return to actions that nurture our human/citizen resources.
Phil
