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Gore: revolutions in technology and pay

Date 9/28/2000 12:00 AM | Topic: Opinion

Defense spending always seems to be a contentious issue in a presidential campaign. How much money do we need to spend to keep American citizens safe from possible attacks? How do we define our national interests and what steps must we take to protect them? What will it take to keep our military the best trained and best equipped in the world?

Both Vice President Al Gore and Governor George W. Bush agree that steps must be taken to strengthen and modernize our military. Both want to increase spending on defense by using a portion of the projected budget surplus. Both Gore and Bush also want to create a national missile defense (NMD) system. While the two candidates may share similar defense goals, looking at the details of their plans shows a substantial difference between Gore and Bush.

Perhaps the most discussed issue in defense spending is the deployment of a national missile defense system. The idea originated under the Reagan administration as "Star Wars", a system that would use satellite technology to pinpoint and intercept ballistic missiles from space. Although the Star Wars program was never developed, the idea of a NMD has remained a defense issue. Recently, there have been some tests to see if such a system would actually work. Only one of the three tests was successful in intercepting its target. Citing the need to more testing, President Clinton decided not to authorize funding for NMD construction. This means the decision to build a NMD rests on the next president.

Gore agrees that more testing must be done to ensure that the government invests in a program that will work. According to Gore's campaign website, , "A decision to deploy such a system should be made based on four criteria: technical feasibility, cost, an evaluation of the threat, and its impact on arms control."

Gore would want to be sure that any NMD would not violate any of the START treaties negotiated with Russia during the Cold War, which helped slow the arms race. This is very important because many foreign nations are concerned about the impact of an NMD on the balance of power, suggesting that the construction of a missile defense system could trigger another arms race.

Under Gore, an increase in defense spending would also have impacts on personnel, equipment, and organization. Having lived on a military base, Gore is familiar with some of the struggles of personnel and their families like making ends meet and finding affordable housing. He pledges to increase pay by 3.7%, reform the housing system, enhance family services, invest in the health care plan, and get soldiers off food stamps.

Gore also feels it is important to invest in the continual upgrade of military technology to ensure that our forces are always on the cutting edge. This means investing in advanced hardware and exploring ways in which commercial technology can be applied to defense. In addition, Gore would also reorganize the Pentagon, so that departments like the Navy and Marines are sharing resources, not competing for them.

Finally, Gore would like to see the Pentagon get rid of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. He believes that homosexuals should be allowed to serve openly in the armed forces.

The issue of defense is more than just spending choices. Our next president must be prepared to defend our nation from outside attacks in order to protect our American way of life. Gore will keep our military on the cutting edge and our citizens safe.

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Ryan Brown
Chips Staff Writer

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