The Democratic Alternative

THE DEMOCRATIC ALTERNATIVE Alan Cranston, John Glenn, Gary Hart, and Walter Móndale In April and May 1983 senators Alan Cranston of California, John Glenn of Ohio, Gary Hart of Colorado, andformer vice-president Walter Móndale—all of whom are candidatesfor the presidential nomination of the Democratic party—responded in writing to a set of eleven questions on U.S. foreign policy submitted by the editors of the sais review. Two other Democratic candidates, Ernest F. Hollings and Reubin Askew, declined to participate. SAIS REVIEW: What are the most important U.S. defense needs, and what rate ofreal growth in defense spending do you believe necessary to meet those needs? CRANSTON: The United States maintains a military defense second to none in order to protect its vital interests and those of its allies. To continue to meet these goals we need to monitor and review carefully what those interests are and to maintain a comprehensive strategy that relates our goals to our means. There is no magic number of dollars or percentage of gnp spent on defense that will assure these objectives. But with a careful assessment of what we need and prudent decisions on how to spend our resources, we can continue to maintain a strong defense. Without such an assessment, as the Reagan administration is so clearly proving, we can spend enormous sums and end up with less security, not more. Any comprehensive defense strategy must include an integral commitment to arms control and reductions. This is the element most lacking in the current Reagan defense policy. Only when we halt the nuclear arms race and reduce the threat of a nuclear holocaust will we have any hope for lasting security. That is why I am a strong advocate of a verifiable, mutual nuclear freeze with the Soviet Union as a necessary first step toward deep reductions that can provide stable deterrence at lower levels of force. The Reagan administration has placed too great an emphasis on unilateral moves, rhetorical outbursts, and new strategic-weapons buying to the detriment of the Atlantic Alliance and of our conventional forces. There is too great an emphasis on weapons procurement and not enough on operations and maintenance and, most important, on our military 87 88 SAIS REVIEW personnel. Our economy is also suffering; the wasteful, extravagant defense budget is a major reason for the huge deficits we face. What is needed now is a reordering of priorities. We must pay greater attention to conventional forces—but we must do our utmost to negotiate agreements with the U.S.S.R. to reduce these forces, too. We must focus on our military personnel and provide adequate funds for operations and maintenance. More attention must be focused on the kinds of weapons we buy and how to stop the uncontrolled cost escalation in weapons procurement. We do not need more money to do these things. I believe that the money currently allocated for defense, if properly spent, will continue to provide us with a defense that is second to none. GLENN: Our most crucial defense needs are to deter the nuclear war that no one would win and to deter by strength (or win, if we must fight) the conventional conflicts that have continued along with the nuclear stalemate. To do this means much more than just buying weapons and raising forces, although those are essential. National security, broadly understood , requires that attention be paid to all the elements of national strength and safety. A strong economy, a united people under a just government that earns their respect, education, technology, allies, and arms control all have vital roles to play. To maintain our nuclear deterrent, I support the continued splitting of our strategic forces into the so-called Triad of land, sea, and bomber systems. All three parts of the Triad must be able to carry out their missions even after surviving a surprise attack. Right now, we are debating the future of the land-based portion of the Triad. I believe we need a survivable land-based missile, but this need not mean the large mx. I have opposed mx for more than three years and have supported a smaller, mobile...