‘Beyond the Pale’

The Pentagon responds to Micah Zenko.

SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages
SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages
SAUL LOEB/AFP/GettyImages

Micah Zenko's November 27 column, headlined "Offensive Maneuver: Why Does Leon Panetta Hate Democracy?", is absurd. Zenko suggests that a secretary of defense should not voice concerns about the potential impact of excessive cuts to the defense budget. That's precisely what a secretary of defense should do, especially when this secretary is implementing $487 billion in defense spending reductions based on a strategy developed by the department's military and civilian leaders. The secretary has appropriately called for a national conversation about the entire federal budget with an eye toward encouraging Americans to take a balanced approach to deficit and debt reductions. That's what a leader in a democracy does. To suggest that he has "belittled the process of deliberative democracy" is deeply offensive and beyond the pale.

Micah Zenko’s November 27 column, headlined "Offensive Maneuver: Why Does Leon Panetta Hate Democracy?", is absurd. Zenko suggests that a secretary of defense should not voice concerns about the potential impact of excessive cuts to the defense budget. That’s precisely what a secretary of defense should do, especially when this secretary is implementing $487 billion in defense spending reductions based on a strategy developed by the department’s military and civilian leaders. The secretary has appropriately called for a national conversation about the entire federal budget with an eye toward encouraging Americans to take a balanced approach to deficit and debt reductions. That’s what a leader in a democracy does. To suggest that he has "belittled the process of deliberative democracy" is deeply offensive and beyond the pale.

George Little is acting assistant secretary of defense for public affairs and Pentagon press secretary.

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