Defense Secretary Gates Has It About Right ... But He Doesn't Go Far Enough
By: Les Carpenter III Rational Nation USA Finally we have some rational thought in the defense department. Forty nine years after President Eisenhower warned Americans of the dangers of a military industrial complex we have a Secretary of Defense that seems to understand he current dangers to our society. At least partially. Secretary Gates warned Congress and the Pentagon brass that military spending, given the nations difficult economic situation, must receive deep analysis and harsh scrutiny. Secretary Gates said Saturday it is "highly unlikely" the defense budget will continue to grow in the foreseeable future. At the same time he gave lawmakers the challenge to cease funding programs that is not requested or wanted by the Pentagon. Gates went on record saying he is directing the military and defense civilians to scrutinize overhead and slash costs, and take a hard look at how they operate. Presu...