Defense budget cuts small part of attacking deficit

While I agree that the defense budget should be scrutinized and prudent reductions made, the assertion that it “is being glossed over by the president and by most in Congress” made by Ed Flaherty in his Feb. 24 letter is patently not true. Here are a few facts.

The current Obama budget calls for defense spending of 3.4 percent of gross domestic product by 2016 as compared to an average of 8.5 percent from 1940 to 2000 and 13.3 percent in war and mobilization years. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has announced he plans to find a $100 billion reduction in the fiscal budget.

We started with an “uncertain” world; look at what has happened in just the past few weeks that no one predicted: riots in Tunisia and Egypt causing the government to fall; demonstrations in Yemen; the first flight of China's advanced fighter, the J-20; cyber attacks from Russia on the Nasdaq stock exchange; cyber attacks on U.S. oil companies; Iran and Venezuela agreeing to station Iranian missiles on Venezuelan soil; and Libya's violence.

Conventional threats are real. The terrorist threat is real. Indiscriminately cutting the defense budget is only a very small part of attacking the deficit. Now is the time to take a hard look at all the entitlement programs - Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Demographic trends indicate this will only increase as a percent of GDP unless we make some tough choices now.

Jerry Thorius

Col. U.S. Air Force (Ret)

Amana