THE RIGHT SNAPS BACK ON DEFENSE SPENDING – AT 10:37 A.M. ET:  We've been a bit concerned here about the lax response of some conservatives (and national-defense Democrats) to reported plans to slash the defense budget irresponsibly.  Now the grown-ups are getting organized and fighting back against the cuts-at-any-price crowd.  From The Hill:

Conservative lawmakers and analysts are seizing on the Pentagon’s finding that China is “closing the gap” with other militaries to criticize the Obama administration’s plans to pare U.S defense spending.

The critics say the president does not fully grasp the Asian giant’s global ambitions.

No surprise there.

“The [Pentagon’s] China military power report acknowledges China's insatiable desire to become a 'world class economic and military power' as it advances toward transforming its military into a dominant regional force by 2020 and an unrivaled international power by 2050,” House Armed Services Readiness subcommittee Chairman Randy Forbes (R-Va.) said.

Forbes then turned his sights, in a veiled way, on plans to trim at least $350 billion from U.S. military budgets between 2013 and 2023.

“There is no question that China is rapidly closing the technology gap and striving to challenge the United States' military prowess — there is a question, though, of whether the United States will simply cede its global and military leadership role to a nation with uncertain intentions, but known disregard for human rights, basic freedoms, and democratic institutions,” Forbes said in a statement.

In its annual report to Congress, released Wednesday, the Pentagon acknowledged that China’s military is "steadily closing the technological gap with modern armed forces."

Speaking to reporters that afternoon, Deputy Assistant Secretary of defense for East Asia Michael Schiffer said Beijing’s buildup could end up being a “destabilizing” force in the Asia-Pacific region.

You think?

COMMENT:  Our concern with radical Islam centers on terrorism, including, potentially, nuclear terrorism.  It also focuses on attempts to infiltrate and change Western nations.

China, on the other hand, represents a classic military challenge.  China is able to field large land armies, and will soon have a threatening naval force that could challenge the United States for control of the seas.  And yet, we remain curiously unconcerned. 

I suspect we'll get a surprise ten years down the road.  That's usually what it takes to wake up democracies.  In the meantime, our side has to work every day to maintain adequate defense spending, and not make the mistakes we made in the 20th century.  During that recent century the United States experienced four major defense drawdowns...and lived to regret every one of them.

August 29, 2011