My vision is an American military which is not driven by imperialist impulses, corporate interests, or national hegemony. At the same time, a foreign policy must be implemented which does not take an isolationist standpoint.
As president, I will use military force only as a last resort solution, and only under the conditions that: military force will in fact solve the situation at hand, and the situation at hand puts our national security interests at risk. There will be no undeclared wars, no secret bombings - there will be no wars at all except for the purpose of defending our own country. And there will be no commitment of forces without the prior authorization of the Congress of the United States...
...I believe that we have much to learn from previous engagements in military operations. History has shown that nations who have been made victims of hegemony become resentful and hostile. They then seek security and alliances with other nations and seek retribution. In today's world of terrorist networks, we cannot afford throwing around military strength where political influence is weak. We can never implement the military to fight a political war.
We need a strategic plan to ensure that we spend properly to prevent and combat terrorism, to protect American families and communities.
Our government currently spends approximately 16% of its budget on defense. This is down from around 50% in the early 1960s. The number of active-duty troops has dropped by about one third since the end of the Cold War. With the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a new century, new threats arise which challenge our technological ingenuity. America should modernize its military capability by investing in research and development to make our military more suited to the needs of the twenty-first century. This means defending ourselves from the threats of the information age: internet hackers impose an enormous hazard to national security.
I'm for spending on military, but I think that much of our military spending is actually politically motivated. There are expensive weapon systems that the Pentagon doesn't even want, but which bring jobs to a particular Congressman's area. That Congressman earns a pretty penny from special interest groups. The only interest group that should carry any weight is the American people!
I am discouraged with the Senate for voting down a treaty banning nuclear weapons testing worldwide. There's no more important challenge than stopping the spread of nuclear weapons. This vote goes against the tide of history and the advice of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from the administrations of the past quarter of a century. This goes to show that the fight against nuclear proliferation, nuclear testing, nuclear weaponry and an attempt to have a comprehensive test ban treaty is not a partisan issue. Signing the nuclear test ban treaty would have been taking a giant step to creating a world of peace.
I support increased pay and better benefits and training for our citizen soldiers. Rebuilding America's homeland defenses is an urgent priority. I support deploying antiballistic missile systems to guard against attack and blackmail. We should develop short range defenses because they are feasible and important for dealing with proliferation at distances from ourselves. We should continue research and development on ground-based defenses. We should invest in possible breakthrough technologies.
This is still a world of terror & missiles & madmen. We are challenged by aging weapons and failing intelligence. I will continue to ensure our military power for our own safety. I will move quickly to defend our people and our allies against missiles and blackmail.
Outside of America's borders the world is a freer and safer place than when I was growing up. We must always remember the importance of a strong military, a strong United States of America, to preserve world peace.
Thank you very much. May God bless each and every one of you!
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