Defense

From Pete Ashdown Campaign Collaboration Wiki

Military spending needs to move from the traditional spending from the high-end to the low-end. Another $4 billion dollar carrier is not going to save troops from a $100 bomb. Too much of our military is still geared around a "cold-war" mentality, with enemy nation-states as the focus. Currently the next largest military spender is China and a war with China is one that both countries would most certainly lose on all counts.

Instead, our military needs focus on what the troops need first. An estimated 80% of injuries in Iraq could have been prevented with proper troop armor. In reassessing our 21st century military needs it is vital that spending goes to the people who need it the most. It would also be appropriate to move high-end spending to supporting our troops needs after they return home, as is stated in my Veterans plank.

One trend from the Bush administration that must be reversed is the privatization of war with uncontrolled and extremely wasteful outsourcing of actitivites and responsibilities to third-party resources that in many cases are nothing but mercenaries, beyond effective regulation. Iraq provides almost daily examples of such excesses as well as questionable behavior. The DOD should be tasked with developing and implementing sound principles for what support services can be outsourced in war or similar situations and on what conditions.