American deterrence's missing half

[rangerrebew]

American deterrence's missing half

By Raphael S. Cohen, Opinion Contributor — 01/22/22 08:00 AM EST
 

After much hemming and hawing, Congress in December finally passed a $768 billion defense authorization bill, some $25 billion over what the Biden administration had requested. For defense hawks, this is good news. With China becoming increasingly belligerent towards Taiwan, Russia poised to invade Ukraine and Iran stiff-arming nuclear negotiations, the United States faces intensifying threats on a range of fronts.

Indeed, many of the bill’s core provisions center on bolstering deterrence — from an authorization of $300 million to support Ukraine's armed forces to $4 billion for the European Defense Initiative to $7.1 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative. Beneath the dollar signs, however, lies an unsettling truth: All these added authorizations (assuming that they are fulfilled with resources in a final appropriations bill) may be a necessary but insufficient condition to dissuade the United States’s adversaries.
 
https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/590848-american-deterrences-missing-half

[Cyber Liberty]

Being The Shill," the conclusion is sub-optimal:

Unfortunately for the U.S. and its Defense Department, shifting those perceptions requires much more than an extra $25 billion. It requires something money cannot buy: repairing the social fabric here at home.

See, the problem isn't too little money, it's our refusal to fall in line behind Grandpa Badfinger's policies.  We aren't backing CRT and gender dysphoria enough.