OPINION:
Columnist Alan W. Dowd, writing in American Legion magazine this past July, essentially says the free world needs “an alliance of democracies” against the autocracies of Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela. He’s right.
Deterring the autocracies requires the free world to increase defense spending and collaborate in programs designed to enhance the capabilities of democracies to counter the extremist governments.
NATO countries in Europe are now increasing their defense spending to counter Russian expansionism. Far East countries are aligning and spending more money on armaments to confront China and North Korea. Some Middle Eastern countries are working closely with the United States to combat Iranian aggression.
The United States, as the world’s bastion of democracy, must ramp up the availability of armaments, including state-of-the-art offensive and defensive weapons. These should include drones, hypersonic missiles and other advanced missile systems. Maybe we should also look at developing drone aircraft carriers, a move that would necessitate increasing military spending from 3% of gross domestic product to 5% or 6%.
DONALD MOSKOWITZ
Londonderry, New Hampshire
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