Buchanan Foster

American Military Readiness Neglected Under Clinton/Gore
Teddy Roosevelt admonished us: 'Speak softly and carry a big stick.'

But today, we have forgotten that wise counsel as we whittle down the stick and raise the decibel count of our bombastic rhetoric.

Under Clinton-Gore, our global commitments have expanded, but our defenses have declined. Planes are cannibalized for spare parts, recruitment has hit historic lows, and munitions stocks run short. Funding has been slashed to pre-Pearl Harbor levels, and for the first time in fifty years, our Pacific fleet has been stripped of carrier-based air support.

Since this Administration took office, the following forces have been removed from America's arsenal: 709,000 regular service soldiers, 293,000 reserve troops, 8 standing Army divisions, 20 Air Force wings with 2,000 combat aircraft, 232 strategic bombers, 13 strategic ballistic missile submarines with 3,114 nuclear warheads, 500 intercontinental ballistic missiles, 4 aircraft carriers, and 121 combat ships and submarines.

We cannot police the planet on a defense budget of 3% GDP, and unless America is prepared to restore our military might, we cannot contain a rearmed Russia, patrol the Balkans, roll back a second Iraqi attack on Kuwait, repel North Korea, and prevent another of Beijing's bullying assaults on Taiwan.

America must retrench and rearm. We must reclaim American invincibility on land, sea and air, and complete the Reagan legacy by deploying a missile defense system.

A Buchanan Administration will restore funding to our hollowed forces, honor to our ranks, and safety to our shores. We will not splinter our strength by committing American forces where no vital national interests are at stake, and will reclaim international credibility by establishing a clear, consistent foreign policy that keeps our interest first, our forces strong, and our nation secure.