This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I agree with Mitt Romney ("The need for a mighty American military," Sept. 6) that we should have a strong military and be prepared to use it but sparingly. What really burns me about Romney and his ilk is that the people who advocate a strong military most loudly all seem to want someone else to pay for it. (And someone else's children to enlist.) Our strong military and the wars we have fought already in this century have added about two trillion dollars to the national debt because those who were the most enthusiastic about interventions in the Middle East didn't believe in "pay as you go." That would have required raising taxes.
Romney does make a vague suggestion on how to raise additional money for the military – cut programs and entitlements. That's easy for him to suggest, he's got his; forget about those in need. Basically it's "Pull up the anchor, I'm aboard." But never, ever raise taxes no matter how important fighting terrorism may be.
Arthur Sutherland
Sandy