Is America's Defense Better Off Today Than We Were Four Years Ago? .

Robert Haffa, RCD: America’s Defense: Are We Better Off Today Than We Were Four Years Ago?

In 2020, are you better off today than you were four years ago?

The phrase dates to the final week of the 1980 presidential campaign between President Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Although the race was considered close, it turned sharply in Reagan’s favor when he asked that famous question of the audience: “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?”

This November, voters' answer to a similar question may have much to do with the effect they personally feel from the Covid-19 virus, the way they perceive the administration has handled the pandemic and the state of the economic recovery.

In contrast, American foreign and defense policy seldom play a defining role in U.S. presidential elections. However, in recent Gallup polls, national security/terrorism ranks right up there with health care, education, gun policy, and the economy as issues the electorate cares about. The lack of preparation for a pandemic may lead to further questions on America’s national security. It is worth asking, then, in terms of national defense: are we better off today than we were four years ago?

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WNU Editor: Are we better off? I had to think about this one for a few minutes. The trend is to extradite the U.S. out of the never-ending conflicts in the Middle East and the never-ending war in Afghanistan. That will help in the long term US national security. Unfortunately the global pandemic has definitely changed the national security scene. Everyone is focused on combating and recovering from the pandemic rather than pursuing national security and foreign policy objectives. As a result, national security and defense will be taking a back seat for the next few years. This makes the global situation ripe for countries like China to exploit, and that alone will definitely strain US defense commitments. So in answer to the above question .... are we better off? Not fighting these wars has (and will) help America's defenses, but we are now entering a new era where I can easily argue that we will not be better off this time next year.