George Landrith
Dayton Daily News
This article on the economic effects of the trillion-dollar defense cut imposed by the debt ceiling deal neglected to outline how the cuts would devastate our national security at a time when the Middle East is unstable, China is building an aircraft carrier fleet, and Iran is about toacquire nuclear weapons. In addition to slashing enough jobs to push the unemployment rate over 10 percent, it would reduce our army, navy, and air force to their lowest levels in nearly a century, according to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.
Not only would the cuts impair our ability to respond to threats abroad; they could leave us vulnerable at home. Cuts to our missiledefenses could allow countries like Iran or North Korea to hold us hostage with the threat of ballistic missile attack, something Secretary Panetta recently called a “serious threat.” While today’s systems have proven through countless tests that they can defend against current ballistic missile threats, budget cuts would slow research and development to improve our defenses against ever more sophisticated missiles.
Everyone from President Obama to Senator McCain now supports missile defenses to protect the U.S. as a fundamental component of our national security. So why is Congress sacrificing these and other fundamental defenses on the altar of deficit reduction?
