Military Spending Increase Assailed
President Clinton has asked Congress to raise the Pentagon's
budget by a staggering $110 billion over the next six years.
Republicans disagree -- they say that isn't enough. GOP leaders are
demanding a $148 billion boost in military spending.
Which leaves it to the Libertarian Party to argue that Clinton's proposed
increase -- the biggest since the Cold War arms race of the mid-1980s -- is
useless, senseless, and dangerous.
"The fact is, nobody in the world poses a credible military
threat to the safety of the United States," said LP National Director Steve
Dasbach in a news release.
"Nobody has a military as well-armed and trained as the United
States. Nobody can match the United States' overwhelming superiority in
nuclear weapons. Nobody has troops massed on our border, threatening
our safety."
Indeed, Dasbach notes, the spending demands come at a time when studies show
the number of armed conflicts around the globe is *dropping* substantially.
"So why does Bill Clinton want to spend another $110 billion to
defend us against the threat posed by nobody?" he asked.
The answer, Dasbach said, is that the money isn't intended for the direct
defense of the United States.
U.S. military leaders say they will spend much of the $110
billion to fund a wide range of "new missions," including peace-keeping in
Haiti and
Bosnia, full time air patrols over Iraq, and anti-drug efforts.
"If you look at where this new money would be spent, it is
clear that most of it would go to our far-flung and ill-advised
commitments around the world -- not to defend the United States," said
Dasbach.
In contrast, Dasbach said the Libertarian Party calls for a dramatically
lower defense budget -- one that eschews
acting as the world's policeman, does not subsidize the defense of
wealthy allies like Europe and Japan, and would not commit U.S. forces
to United Nations-controlled "peace keeping" efforts.
"A Libertarian foreign policy understands that America must be
a fully engaged participant in the world economy, but refuses to become
the world's policeman or interfere in the internal affairs of other
nations.
"A more realistic defense policy would enable the United States
to dramatically reduce its defense spending -- and truly become a
beacon of liberty and peace for the rest of the world," Dasbach said.
(Source: Libertarian Party news release)
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