Shadow Government

A front-row seat to the Republicans' debate over foreign policy, including their critique of the Biden administration.

Rubio’s Peace Through Strength

Overlooked amid the coverage of U.S. air strikes against the Islamic State, on Sept. 17 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) gave a speech on defense issues. It deserves to be viewed and read in its entirety, but three aspects of it struck me. First, Rubio didn’t take the politically expedient path of arguing that the United ...

Scott Eisen/Getty Images
Scott Eisen/Getty Images
Scott Eisen/Getty Images

Overlooked amid the coverage of U.S. air strikes against the Islamic State, on Sept. 17 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) gave a speech on defense issues. It deserves to be viewed and read in its entirety, but three aspects of it struck me.

Overlooked amid the coverage of U.S. air strikes against the Islamic State, on Sept. 17 Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) gave a speech on defense issues. It deserves to be viewed and read in its entirety, but three aspects of it struck me.

First, Rubio didn’t take the politically expedient path of arguing that the United States needs to learn how to do more with less. Rather, quite sensibly in my view, he noted that "providing for the common defense is the highest responsibility of our elected leaders." Whereas some members of the punditocracy have argued that any effort to strengthen defense "flies in the face of the will of the American people and the elected majorities of both parties," Rubio emphasized the link between American strength, on the one hand, and peace and prosperity on the other. Conversely, he tied the decline of American military power during the current administration to its largely ineffectual pursuit of diplomacy abroad. It was, to use an overused expression, a Reaganesque speech.

Second, Rubio associated himself with many of the recommendations of the Congressionally-mandated bipartisan National Defense Panel, including its call for a larger and more modern Navy and Air Force. He outlined a defense program emphasizing modernization, innovation, and training. It is a detailed and well-informed approach that deserves to be discussed and debated.

Third, the speech established Rubio’s bona fides as a true expert on defense issues in a Congress where defense expertise is both badly needed and in short supply on both sides of the aisle.

Roger Zakheim has characterized Rubio’s speech as "fearless, informed, and refreshing." I think that’s exactly right.

Thomas G. Mahnken is president and CEO of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. He is a senior research professor at the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies, at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and has served for over 20 years as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

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