US loses military dominance
A report on military capabilities should shake up US Congressmen: despite spending $ 716 billion a year on arms, there is a danger of losing a war against China or Russia. In addition, there is a risk that you could lose a possible war against China or Russia. So dramatic sounds the report of a bipartisan commission for the US Congress, quoted by the Washington Post. The paper was prepared, inter alia, to evaluate the defense strategy of US President Donald Trump for the next few years.
The report supports Trump’s strategic goals for a new race of global powers. Criticism, however, is that the US government is investing too slowly and too little. This risked the Trump administration another erosion of US dominance, which could become a national security risk.
In addition, China and Russia are currently strengthening their dominance in their respective world regions, and have expanded their ability to use their military power globally. Armament efforts by both countries also targeted the US directly, the report said.
White House and US Democrats want to cut Pentagon spending Kathleen H. Hicks, a former Pentagon adviser to the Obama administration and a member of the commission, told the newspaper that what was dangerous above all was the self-satisfied sense that „the US could achieve anything they wanted around the world, including militarily „. The report tries to convey that the warning lights are already red, Hicks said.
In an arms race reminiscent of the Cold War, the US military lacked innovation, resources, and prioritization to enable the military to defend itself against China and Russia.
Despite $ 716 billion in defense spending this year – four times more than China and even ten times more than Russia – efforts to restructure the US military are too low. The recommendation of the twelve-member Commission therefore proposes to lift budget limits in the next two years.
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The report comes at a time when US Democrats are preparing to take the majority in the House of Representatives after the Midterm elections. So far, they are expected to use their majority to restrict Defense Department plans.
In addition, the White House recently demanded that the Pentagon cut spending plans by $ 33 billion or 4.5 percent by 2019. This is intended to counteract the tax cuts with which the Trump government wants to redeem a key election promise from 2016.
