| The subject of this dissertation is defense of the United States with emphasis on strategic military policy. The question of whether or not the American military forces, as an instrument of national power, are capable of defending the country and carrying out its obligations abroad.;Six conclusions are drawn. First, the Soviet Union has reached, and in some cases surpassed, military force parity with the United States. Second, American military strength vis-a-vis the Soviets has reached a point of untenability. Third, national defense for the United States is very expensive and our nation faces a dilemma: it can risk being conquered by its enemies in battle or by its own spending methods. Fourth, our allies rely on the United States to bear a disproportionate amount of the defense burden. Fifth, present American strategic thinking is outmoded and obsolete. Sixth, the United States has not been artful in applying the science of international relations in recent decades and her position of preeminence in global affairs has eroded.;To re-establish American leadership several steps must be taken including: (1) economic realities mandate an overall of Department of Defense spending methods; (2) the all-volunteer force concept must be modernized to maintain a strong and effective military establishment; (3) strategic capabilities must be strengthened since the concept of "essential parity" is a dangerous one; (4) the United States must re-establish leadership pragmatically by extending the benefit of scientific research to its allies and idealistically by developing and transporting a single, comprehensive American ideology.;To answer this question several points relevant to American military policy are considered. Among those are the persistence of the Communist ideology that seeks eventual world domination; the lack of a consistent and coherent American ideology; a review of present American military strength by the Soviet Union. |
