The Progressive Approach to National Security
The Politics
National security is a subject on which progressives have struggled to find a winning message. It’s a topic where conservatives get away with surreal talking points, such as, “Let’s fight them over there so we don’t have to fight them here,” which Sarah Palin repeated as recently as last week. [New York Times] McCain simplistically asserts that America’s choices in Iraq are “victory” or “retreat.” [Washington Post] How can progressives turn the debate from a recitation of absurd slogans into a serious reconsideration of America’s role in the world?
The Facts
The Bush-McCain war in Iraq is a disaster. So far, the costs of the war include over 4,000 fallen American soldiers, approximately 30,000 more wounded, and $565 billion lost. This does not include the costs borne by other nations, or the tremendous suffering of innocent civilians in Iraq. Most Americans think the Iraq war is a failure [Gallup] and record numbers of Americans are dissatisfied with our nation’s position in the world. [Gallup] Among the citizens of other nations, America’s standing in the world is at an all-time low. [Gallup]
Bush’s efforts to fight terrorism have backfired. According to the most recently declassified National Security Estimate, the Iraq war has had a “rejuvenating effect” on Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. [Washington Post] Worldwide, suicide bombings have increased greatly since 2001, and 2007 was the worst year for such bombings in more than a quarter-century. Over half of all suicide bombings last year took place in U.S.-occupied Afghanistan and Iraq. [Washington Post]
Bush has depleted our military. A poll of 3,400 military officers found that 60 percent say the U.S. military is weaker today than it was five years ago, and nearly 90 percent say the Iraq war has “stretched the U.S. military dangerously thin.” [Foreign Policy] The military’s involuntary extensions of duty—especially “stop loss” orders to National Guard soldiers—have caused hardships for soldiers and their families and have made it more difficult to recruit future soldiers. [USA Today] The U.S. Government Accountability Office reports that it will take years and cost about $200 billion to repair or replace equipment that was warn out or broken in the Iraq war. [GAO]
Bush continues to outsource national security. “Free market” ideology trumps national security in the Bush Administration. Not only have we outsourced critical military jobs to the likes of Halliburton and Blackwater, the Bush Administration has also hired private companies to spy for the United States. In fact, 70 percent of the intelligence budget now goes to contractors. In other words, private corporate interests control our nation’s most sensitive information and help direct our most critical foreign policy decisions. [CBS News]
Bush has had little success in stopping nuclear proliferation. One of America’s greatest security threats is the possibility that nuclear weapons will find their way into the hands of rogue states or terrorists. Yet, the Administration’s ham-fisted approach to Iranian nuclear programs has accomplished nothing. Bush’s nuclear deal with North Korea is on the verge of breakdown. His nuclear agreement with India undermined nonproliferation arguments elsewhere. And Bush’s opposition to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and his refusal to cooperate in other international efforts have worsened the problem. [Arms Control Association]
Bush has made no progress on energy independence. Our dependence on foreign oil remains a grave risk to national security. Fifty-eight percent of oil consumed in the U.S. is imported. [Energy Information Administration] Still, Bush slashed Department of Energy programs that promoted conservation, efficiency, and renewable energy sources. Bush and Senate conservatives killed 2007 legislation that would have required 15 percent of our electricity to come from renewable sources and they continue to block the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008. [Center for American Progress, Washington Post] Conservatives did nothing to improve fuel efficiency for cars and SUVs while they controlled Congress and the White House. Then in December 2007, the day after Bush signed Democratic legislation which modestly increases fuel efficiency standards, the administration blocked laws enacted in 18 states that would improve auto efficiency rules for a majority of Americans. [New York Times]
Progressive Solutions
The Bush-McCain approach—preemptive war, non-cooperation with our allies, outsourcing to firms like Halliburton, and continuing U.S. reliance on foreign oil—has made our nation less secure. We need a progressive U.S. foreign policy that engages our allies and uses moral leadership to build a safer world for us all.
