Dreer 1
Robert Dreer
K. Kast
ENG 111
20 April 2014
Stemming the Tide
During the founding of our nation, President James Madison felt that “a standing army is
one of the greatest mischief that can possibly happen”. Since the birth of our nation, America has
slowly grown stronger and its military has become unmatched in the modern world. As such, the
funding allocated to the military has grown substantially. Traditionally, Americans believe that a
large standing army is necessary and that greater defense spending leads to an increase in
national security. In reality, a large standing army is a frivolous expense and exorbitant defense
spending is like a cancer, eating our nation from the inside out.
Maintaining a standing army comes at an incredible cost. With the multitude of benefits
and extra incentives currently offered by the military, there has never been a better time to be a
soldier in the United States Army. That is precisely the problem. The purpose of the army is to
provide for national defense, yet we aren’t currently storming the beaches of Normandy. Former
Vice President Elbridge Gerry believed that “a standing army is an excellent assurance of
domestic tranquility, but a dangerous temptation to foreign adventure.” Limiting the ability to
engage in warfare would make leaders more closely consider the ramifications of their actions.
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Gerry’s belief has held true. More than a few commanders-in-chief have succumbed to
temptation to flex the muscle of the United States, advancing our influence.
Advancing the influence of the empire is a common goal of all super powers and America
is no different. Our nation expanded and thrived as a direct result of our Manifest Destiny.
Unfortunately, history has shown that a nations decline is preceded by getting embroiled in
“lengthy wars” and an inability to transition to a peacetime military (Kennedy, xv). Considering
the current state of the US economy and the amount spent on the global war on terror [over $5
trillion as of 2011 according to a study published in Time magazine], our nation is already on a
collision course with history.
America’s clash with history can be prevented. Conventional belief holds that we do need
