1、S t r a t e g y f o r t h e L o n g h a u LPerspectiveThinking Smarter About DefenseMay 2010The New GuNs Versus BuTTer DeBaTeTodd HarrisonOriginally presented at a Ruger Workshop,Naval War College,19-21 May 2010,and to be published in“Economics and Security:Resourcing National Priorities,”edited by
2、Richmond M.Lloyd,William B.Ruger Chair of National Security Economics Papers,Number 5(Newport,RI:Naval War College,forthcoming),available mid-September 2010 at http:/www.usnwc.edu/Departments-Colleges/National-Security-Decision-Making/Ruger-Economic-Papers.aspxIntroductionas the economy begins to em
3、erge from the deepest recession since the Great Depression,the federal government faces a dire fiscal situation.In fiscal year(FY)2009,the budget deficit rose to a record high of$1.4 trillion,and it is forecasted to reach as high as$1.6 trillion in FY 2010.These record deficits are due in no small p
4、art to increased spending on fiscal stimulus programs and a sharp reduction in tax revenues due to the recession.But underlying the current fiscal situation is a structural deficit that the economic downturn has only exacerbated.a telling indicator of this is that one of the fastest growing items in
