Tuesday, February 19, 2013

A Historical Look On The Consequences Of Cutting Past U.S. Defense Budgets

Paratroopers prepare to hook up an M119A2 105mm howitzer to a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during air assault training on Fort Bragg, N.C., Feb. 8, 2013. The paratroopers are assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division’s 3rd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod

Cutting the Defense Budget: A History -- Alexander Lovelace, Washington Times

U.S. pattern of unpreparedness.

The past year has seen both cries for cutting the defense budget at home and renewed violence abroad. With the economy continuing to decline, and the deficit continuing to rise, it is almost inevitable that the defense budget will continue to shrink. This, unfortunately, is nothing new. Throughout its history the United States has habitually, and foolishly, cut troop strength at the conclusion of its wars, and thus been unprepared when new conflicts emerged. With the debates over the defense budget and sequestration threatening to reduce U.S. troop strength even further, Congress would be well advised to look to history and remember that similar cuts have cost the United States dearly in most of her wars.

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My Comment: A historical perspective of past U.S. military budget cuts .... not a reassuring picture.

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