Today the State Department gets less than one penny of every dollar spent by the government while the Pentagon gets some 16 cents. And it costs far more to alleviate the resulting suffering and rebuild shattered societies. We also fail to fully support the United Nations where we remain the organization's biggest debtor nation. In the end, we must somehow overcome the reactive mentality and modus operandi in both the executive and legislative branches that rely on the military simply because it is the only organization that is our elected officials are willing to fund. If the nation is to enlarge its view of what constitutes national security, as the Hart-Rudman Commission seems set to do, we must recognize that the new century demands a fundamental change in how the U.S. attempts to influence events.
Preventive diplomacy is the first line of defense.
It's a better bargain because it saves money and protects the lives of American service men and women around the world.