Sagepaper

The Department of Homeland Security is planning to spend billions of dollars beefing-up security here in the US. We need a lot more stuff to prevent terrorists or rogue nations from importing and using weapons of mass destruction. I wonder if their proposed expenditures are the wisest way to defend the homeland.

Traditionally, we have been able to defend our homeland by fighting, as the song goes, "Over there." This is working even in the post 9/11 era. Lots of Muslim fanatics out to get us are attacking us directly, over there. We must be more vigilant about the possibility of someone bringing the fight home, as happened on September 11, 2001. Still, our best policy is to fight OVER THERE.

After Clinton's, uhm, peace-dividend, we have a drastically reduced military capability. We are not prepared, off the shelf, to fight a world war, or a like scenario. We are active in two theaters, and might have the capacity to act in a third. The problem is, we need to maintain a credible military deterrent in a number of theaters.

If we are forced to pick one, we might lose strategic interests in another. For example, if we deploy against North Korea, China might snag Taiwan. There are doubtless many other troublesome theaters. Clinton's, uhm, diplomatic advances with China have allowed that patient giant to await our overextension. Clinton's, uhm, technical assistance to China has complicated the Orient. We can expect, over time, to face increasing horizontal proliferation of missiles. We can expect a progressive array of warheads mounted on those missiles.

We really need to find ways to fight "over there." Semi-effective luggage-screening equipment for every airport might not be as good for us as rebuilding our, uhm, depleted Cruise Missile arsenal. Thousands of high-tech sensors in every city to detect biological warfare might not protect us a well as an increased standing, professional army.

Better yet, that could buy us some semi-elite urban forces. Unfortunately, no amount of money can buy us additional elite forces. There are only so many members of the population with "the right stuff." Part of "the right stuff" is volunteering for the grueling training. A draft will not increase our elite forces.

We need protection on the homefront. I think it could be improved in other, less expensive ways. There is a volunteer group operating in Arizona to help seal the Mexican border. I think we need to face the fact that it makes no sense to do a complete spectrum analysis on each piece of carry-on in the airports when a sizable force could walk-in through the desert, rent vehicles, and deploy weapons anywhere. Of course, the desert is harsh, and people can perish there. The Arabian Desert is also harsh. We shouldn't count on that as a deterrent.