European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 3, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday March 3, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 13 commentary Patrick e. Tyler size of future military forms question of 90s it took 40 years and More than $11 trillion to win the cold War. Now that its Over the question is How much defense is enough it May be the most vexing Public policy question of the decade because in a real sense the largest thing standing in the Way of financing a new Domestic Agenda in America is the annual allocation for National defense. Also standing in the Way Are some new warnings against cutting defense too quickly or too deeply because it might a sap the Potency of the american superpower by weakening the fabric of military organizations. A and put 2 million defense Industry workers on the Street while the Economy is weak. The problem for government leaders is to know How to Cut. Many americans Are reluctant to jeopardize the superpower status the United states acquired during world w a ii and has retained for half a Century both to counter an expansionist soviet Union and to project itself As an enforcer of stability. But few think a robust american military role in the world should come at the expense of tinting on research investment and productivity. If there is one thing for certain the Pentagon is not going to take the first step in significantly reducing its role or its claim on National resources. That was evident in two unrelated events recently. On feb. 4, the Pentagon leadership sent classified instructions to the military services to plan their Force and weapon requirements for the rest of the decade based on seven a a illustrative scenarios of foreign conflicts that might draw the United states into combat. It Wasny to that these scenarios weren to prudent planning tools in a Long tradition of internal Pentagon War gaming but the Point that struck some Pentagon critics was that these scenarios seemed to have been tailored to justify the existing a base Force plan for a 1.6 million member military Down to the last person and howitzer. The problem remains that the base Force was conceived in 1990, before the collapse of the soviet Union and the splintering of its vaunted military. With the Pentagon a largest enemy devolving into much reduced Republican defense forces across Eurasia critics asked is there no room to consider a More modest Force level then on feb. 11, the . Attack submarine Baton Rouge collided with a russian submarine within sight of the russian Shoreline. The Navy declared that the sub whose armaments include torpedoes Tomahawk cruise missiles and at times tactical nuclear weapons was on a routine patrol to Monitor russian naval movements. But some american defense experts wondered Why the Navy was undertaking such provocative Maneu vers at a time when the former soviet military had All but stood Down. Rep. Les Aspin the Wisconsin Democrat who is chairman of the House armed services committee said that when he picked up his newspaper and read of the submarine incident he gasped a what the hell is going on a it Wasny to that the Navy should not be conducting routine patrols in International Waters or that the United states should not be monitoring the former soviet Navy. But sending lethal and Stealthy submarines near the russian coast to play cat and mouse with russian subs was hardly a gesture worthy of the new Era. Whatever a a routine Mission the Navy a submariners were undertaking the Day the russian attack boat crashed into the Baton Rouge the episode raised the same question As the War scenario instructions to the individual services Are the engines of the Post cold War american military revving too High the military leadership says no. The Pentagon a undersecretary for policy Paul Wolfowitz who supervised the War scenario study was the first administration official last week to try to debunk any notion that the Pentagon remains trapped by its cola War mentality. A a it a a lot of nonsense a he said in a television interview. But when asked whether the Pentagon could Compromise on its base Force he paused and finally said a i think the United states can afford the Security that we re buying with this program and has to afford  William w. Kaufmann professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of technology adviser to several cold War defense secretaries and a proponent of cutting the cold War military by half said from his Perch at the Brookings institution a i really think Paul Wolfowitz should be ashamed of himself. He should go and hide instead of defend this. I think it is sort of self evident that they fake these scenarios and end up with contingencies that just so happen to justify the base  but Kaufmann and Wolfowitz know that this question will not be settled in the Pentagon or in the Halls of Washington a think tanks but rather in Congress where politicians answerable to taxpayers and voters must decide. With its lock on a Quarter of the budget pie the military is the Only Pool of Money that Congress can raid to get More resources for any of the other roughly equal parts National debt repayment entitlements such As social Security and everything else including health education environment and science programs. It May be that Congress ultimately turns to a nonpartisan commission to recommend defense priorities for the future and to give political cover for some cuts that could disrupt communities in the same Way base closings did. One Good example is the Navy aircraft Carrier that is planned for 1995. The ships nuclear reactors have to be ordered and funded this year so deeper cuts in the Navy could put tens of thousands of workers out of jobs in Newport news va., Home of the Only Carrier building shipyard. Six budgets Afrula Anecto attack i Iff a f Sens a meanwhile jew teen cd part of the answer on defense cuts will come this year. The plan that president Bush sent to Congress in january retains the base Force but trims $43 billion from the $1.2 trillion five year defense spending plan. Aspin laying Down what he considers a centrist democratic alternative has suggested doubling this Cut to $91 billion Over five years with deeper cuts if the world continues to become a safer place. But As Aspin acknowledged in his presentation to the House budget committee a this year More than any in the recent past there will be real pain including Pink slips associated with cutting defense. Enthusiasm for cutting defense May be hard to sustain if there is no possibility of spending the savings on reinvestment and Domestic  finally Aspin had to acknowledge that in Congress where a majority must be found among democrats and republicans to pass any defense Bill a deficit reduction while important May not be a goal Worth the pain really Large defense cuts will  c the new York times James j. Kilpatric who says Congress does t earn its pay its a dirty lie. It is a Damnable lie an infernal lie a lie that would bring a Blush to the Cheeks of Ananias Roll Call the newspaper of Capitol Hill said this of the House a the House has not accomplished a thing in  a Bald faced lie sir a slanderous libellous pusillanimous lie i it is not True. It is not True that the House a has not accomplished a thing in  Why sir on the afternoon of wednesday feb. 5, the House adopted House joint Resolution 343, designating March 12 As girl scouts of America 80th anniversary Day. There and that is not All. On the same Day the House also adopted her 395, designating feb. 6 As National women and girls in sports Day. There is More immediately following adoption of the foregoing resolutions the House adopted her 350, designating March 1992 As Irish american heritage month. The Resolution sponsored by rep. Thomas j. Manton d-n.y., honors 40 million americans who claim Irish descent. Think of that let us have no More talk that a the House has not accomplished a thing in  the House adopted these resolutions on wednesday feb. 5. It was hard work. It is therefore wholly understandable that the House took the Day off on thursday the 6th. On Friday the 7th, the House met for one hour and 25 minutes. The entire session was devoted to a speech by rep. Byron l. Dorgan d-n.d., whose theme was that our country faces a a future of despair and economic decline a largely owing to the shortcomings of Ronald Reagan Ana George Bush. Rep. Larry Smith d-fla., heartily concurred. The House did not meet on saturday or sunday. It did not meet on monday either. On tuesday the 11th, the House met for 47 seconds. Worn out the members took off wednesday and thursday to recover. On Friday the House met for five minutes and then adjourned until the following tuesday. Meanwhile what was the Senate up to the remarkable truth is that the Senate was actually getting a few things done however poorly and deserves a Hearty cheer. After Fritt ering away the first three weeks of the new year the Senate abruptly went to work Jan. 22 on the education Bill. After carefully removing the guts of the measure the Senate passed it 92-6 on the 28th. The Senate then turned to the Cable television consumer Protection act and passed it on the 31st. Immediately thereafter majority Leader George j. Mitchell a Maine applied whips and spurs and the Senate took up the Energy Security act. It was too Mulh. It was More than senators could Bear. On Friday feb. 7, they collapsed from overwork. They took the weekend off. Some senatorial Days have been Long Days. There is no denying that. The Senate was in session on Jan. 23 for 11 hours and 34 minutes. On feb. 6, it met for 13 hours and 57 minutes. Alas the statistics Are deceptive. Presumably the Senate was debating the education Bill the Cable Bill and the Energy Bill but a a debating is a bit inexact. Most of the time Only a handful of senators were on the floor. Like those famous hedgehogs in the wonderland game of croquet senators unrolled themselves from the pending Bills and wandered off. It must be acknowledged in fairness that most of the work of Congress is Aone in committee and key committees have been meeting right along. So much for fairness. The appalling inefficiency of Congress in Winter will have this certain consequence in the fall the first week of october will see frantic sessions night and Day As dozens of Bills Are passed in haste. No one will have read them but no matter. Members must go Home and run like mad for re election. They deserve it or so they say. So they say. Count Varsaci pre a Syndicate