Biden’s Military Proposal Isn’t Up to the China Challenge
Seven things to know about the Biden administration’s Department of Defense budget request.
by Shay Khatiri
June 16, 2021 5:30 am
When then-President-elect Joe Biden waited to announce Lloyd Austin as his choice for secretary of defense until after tapping Jake Sullivan as national security advisor, Antony Blinken as secretary of state, and Avril Haines as director of national intelligence, a “source close to Biden” commented that Biden was signaling his intent to demilitarize the U.S. foreign policy: “This is not an administration that is going to put the Pentagon at the center of things.” Biden’s budget request for the Department of Defense, released in late May, confirms that intent—which is a shame.
The military is not the only tool of U.S. foreign policy. America’s economic strength, values, excellent corps of diplomats and intelligence officers, allies, and open society are all extraordinary assets.
But the military is America’s best asset. It is still the primary reason that no sane enemy dreams of attacking America. Our security umbrella is a major reason our allies follow our lead. The United States uses its military every day, not by shooting bullets and dropping bombs, but by maintaining the capacity of doing such things, discouraging bad actors from engaging in malign activities.
https://thebulwark.com/bidens-military-proposal-isnt-up-to-the-china-challenge/
