Racing against the Arms Race

President Nixon has just presented us his first “post-Vietnam” defense budget, which contains some new initiatives and some evidence of the realities according to which we must assess our defense needs. As might be expected, given the rhetoric and politics of the recent past, the defense budget for fiscal 1975 is already under attack for extravagance (in dollar terms it is the largest on record), without any attempt on the part of the attackers to relate it to the realities with which it attempts to deal. It will be the subject of even greater controversy than other recent defense budgets, because the debate will now be focused on what strategies our expenditures should support.

First let me attempt to place the projected expenditures in some kind of perspective. After all, whether or not the proposed defense budget is extravagant or prudent depends not simply on the dollars allocated, but on the threats to be met and on our ability to pay what it will cost to meet them.

JL

About the Author

James L. Buckley

James L. Buckley represented New York in the U.S. Senate from 1971 to 1977 and served as a judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1985 to 2000.

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President Nixon has just presented us his first “post-Vietnam” defense budget, which contains some new initiatives and some evidence of the realities according to which we must assess our defense needs. As might be expected, given the rhetoric and politics of the recent past, the defense budget for fiscal 1975 is already under attack for extravagance (in dollar terms it is the largest on record), without any attempt on the part of the attackers to relate it to the realities with which it attempts to deal. It will be the subject of even greater controversy than other recent defense budgets, because the debate will now be focused on what strategies our expenditures should support.

First let me attempt to place the projected expenditures in some kind of perspective. After all, whether or not the proposed defense budget is extravagant or prudent depends not simply on the dollars allocated, but on the threats to be met and on our ability to pay what it will cost to meet them.

JL

About the Author

James L. Buckley

James L. Buckley represented New York in the U.S. Senate from 1971 to 1977 and served as a judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1985 to 2000.