'The time is ripe for addressing the issue of overspending at the Pentagon, and the presidential candidates are the right people to do it,' write William D. Hartung and Ben Freeman for CNNOpinion
William D. Hartung is the director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy. Ben Freeman runs the center's Foreign Influence Transparency Initiative, and they are co-directors of the center's Sustainable Defense Task Force. The views expressed in this commentary are their own. View more opinion on CNN.
Wednesday's Democratic presidential debate must go beyond the intensive focus on impeachment that has seized our public debate in recent weeks to address other urgent issues facing the country. There is much to talk about -- health care, the climate crisis, creating well-paying jobs, and more. But one issue that has received short shrift is the need to reduce and refocus the Pentagon's massive budget.
William HartungBen FreemanThe time is ripe for addressing the issue of overspending at the Pentagon, and the presidential candidates are the right people to do it. The department is now receiving well over $700 billion per year. This is one of the highest levels in history -- far more, in inflation-adjusted dollars, than was spent at the peak of the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and higher than the Reagan buildup of the 1980s. These enormous sums have not yielded a corresponding increase in security.
Harlow slams Democrat: You could have made hard choices 01:52A central element of a new strategy should be bringing an end to America's endless wars.
Top Democrats: We hope Trump learned his lesson 01:19We should resolve the challenges posed by Iran and North Korea through diplomacy, as was done in the Iran nuclear agreement. Unfortunately, this successful accord was abandoned by the Trump administration in favor of a policy of extreme economic pressure and on-again, off-again military threats that have brought the Middle East to the brink of yet another war.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
U.S. watchdog backs Bezos' protest over key Pentagon launch programA U.S. watchdog on Monday backed a protest from Jeff Bezos' space company t...
Read more »
After rise in Iowa polls, Buttigieg in spotlight at U.S. Democratic presidential debateDemocratic White House contender Pete Buttigieg, who has climbed into the lead i...
Read more »
This Is Us Fall Finale Gives Us a New Mystery to SolveThis Is Us just tricked us all with an unexpected future timeline, and now we're left to wonder about the identity of pregnant fiancees and why Kevin and Randall are no longer speaking.
Read more »
Factbox: Warren on defense? What to watch for in the Atlanta U.S. Democratic debateTen of the 18 candidates seeking the Democratic nomination to face Republican Pr...
Read more »
US schools try to diversify mainly white teaching ranksMost students in American public schools are minorities, but the teaching force is still overwhelmingly white. Democratic presidential candidates have plans to promote more diversity among educators.
Read more »