Suchergebnisse

A COHERENT NATIONAL STRATEGY IS ESSENTIAL BEFORE INTELLIGENCE REQUIREMENTS CAN BE ESTABLISHED. THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION'S POLICY DOES NOT PUT FORWARD ANY PERMANENT U.S. POLITICO-MILITARY INTERESTS OR MISSION IN THE WORLD. WHAT IS NEEDED IS A "FOREIGN POLICY BASED ON THE PRIMARY OF POLITICAL REGIMES AND MILITARY POWER, A POLICY AIMED FIRST AT FRIENDLY REGIMES AND AT CONTROL OF THE OCEAN AND SPACE APPROACHES TO NORTH AMERICA." INTELLIGENCE WOULD BE GEARED TO SUPPORT THESE POLICIES

THIS ARTICLE EXPLORES POSSIBLE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS: WAS THE MISSILE DEFENSE ACT OF 1991 MERELY A FLASH IN THE PAN? A POLITICAL CONVENIENCE? AN EPHEMERAL RESPONSE TO THE GULF WAR? IT EXAMINES WHY THE CONSENSUS ON SDI SEEMS TO BE COMING APART AND SUGGESTS THAT POLITICS DRIVE SDI DEBATE. IF A CONSENSUS CANNOT BE REACHED, IT WOULD BE WASTEFUL TO CONTINUE POURING LARGE SUMS INTO AN SDI PROGRAM THAT CAN NEVER ARRIVE AT A SERIOUS MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM.

THAT THE TWIN STRATEGIES OF RECONSTITUTION AND THE NEW ACQUISITION STRATEGY PROVIDE A RECIPE FOR U.S. MILITARY DECLINE IS THE THESIS OF THIS ARTICLE. THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HAS ARTICULATED A NEW REGIONAL STRATEGY AND A SUPPORTING BASE FORCE AS NEW NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY. RECONSTITUTION PROVIDES THE RATIONALE FOR HUGE REDUCTIONS IN U.S. EXISTING FORCES WHILE THE NEW ACQUISITION STRATEGY RATIONALIZES SIMILARLY HUGE REDUCTIONS IN FUTURE MILITARY PROCUREMENT. THE AUTHOR SUGGESTS THAT, TAKEN TOGETHER, THEY PROVIDE A HIGHLY OPTIMISITC AND TOTALLY MISGUIDED RATIONALE FOR REORIENTING THE DEFENSE BUDGET AWAY FROM PROCUREMENT AND THE MAINTENANCE OF EXISTING FORCES. SINCE THEIR ENUNCIATION, RECONSTITUTION AND THE NEW ACQUISITION STRATEGY HAVE BEEN DOING UNINTENDED DAMAGE BY DISPLACING THE USEFUL PLANNING THE U.S. SHOULD BE DOING. THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES THAT THE U.S SHOULD BE HONEST ABOUT REQUIREMENTS, CREATE AN OVERALL DEFENSE ACQUISITION PLAN, AND STOP THE TALK OF NEW STRATEGIES WHERE THERE ARE NONE.

CONSERVATIVES IN THE 101ST CONGRESS SEEMED TO HAVE LOST THE PASSION AND THE PRINCIPLES THAT BROUGHT THEM TO POLITICS. THE FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP ALLOWED CONSERVATIVE PUBLIC DISCOURSE TO BE DOMINATED BY TRIVIAL ISSUES, SUCH AS THE LIMITATION OF TERMS. CONGRESSIONAL CONSERVATIVES NEED TO RELEARN THE LESSONS OF THE GREAT CONSERVATIVE VICTORIES AND REMEMBER THE GREAT CONSERVATIVE LEADERS--SUCH AS TAFT OF OHIO, DIRKSEN OF ILLINOIS, AND GEORGE AND RUSSELL OF GEORGIA.