Fwd: National Security Update - "Protect America Month: Resurrecting a Vision of Peace Through Strength"

heritage.org | Heritage research | Blog |                         May 10, 2010 Issue in Depth: Protect America Month: Resurrecting a Vision of Peace through Strength Representative Eric Cantor (R-Va.) kicked off the Heritage Foundation's second annual Protect America Month with an address on May 4. Throughout the month, Heritage will release special publications and host events focusing on the need for increased defense spending to adequately fund the American military. The U.S. armed forces are under stress and at risk. The Obama Administration's plan to stop buying next-generation equipment means America's military could quickly lose its unrivaled primacy. Further, President Barack Obama has proposed defense spending cuts to pay for domestic initiatives, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates included significant cuts to military modernization in the 2011 defense budget. Even though the U.S. still faces serious threats to its national security, our military readiness continues to decline. Defending America is choice, and it is time to make the choice to defend this country in the face of current threats just as the U.S. has done repeatedly in the past. See more in this week's Issue in Depth on Protect America Month. Dr. Feulner discusses Protect America Month Latest Research: The Heritage Foundation: Defending Freedom Is a Choice Talk of America's decline is in the air. It is on the cover of magazines, proclaiming, as British historian Niall Ferguson did in a recent Foreign Affairs piece, "Decline and Fall: When the American Empire Goes, It Is Likely to Go Quickly." Indeed, it is a topic so much in vogue that conservatives like Charles Krauthammer go to great lengths to explain that, if there were a decline of America on the world stage, it would be by choice, not because of inevitability. Mitt Romney: The Care of Freedom It is an honor to be here at the United States Navy Memorial. It's humbling to be reminded, in the words of "America the Beautiful," of "heroes proved in liberating strife, who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life." Our liberty and security have come at a great price. We can never repay those who died for us, but we can honor their sacrifice by defending freedom and extending its frontiers across the world. The Heritage Foundation: Sustaining American Leadership with Military Power Contrary to what many politicians and talking heads tell Americans, a false choice exists between what are often referred to as hard and soft power. A country's military resources (its hard power) and the diplomatic tools it uses to persuade others without resorting to coercion (its soft power) operate most efficiently in tandem. The Heritage Foundation: Four Percent for Freedom: The Need to Invest More in Defense -Selected Writings American power is an important stabilizing force in the world. The Four Percent for Freedom solution would help to reassure financial markets about American strength, reduce risk within the international community, and promote economic growth both at home and abroad. More Blogs: The Foundry: Rep. Eric Cantor Speaks on National Security House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) today spoke at The Heritage Foundation's President's Club meeting and delivered the following remarks on America's national security policy. Guest Blogger: Defending America Means Preparing for Current and Future Threats During his successful presidential campaign against Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan introduced the American electorate and the broader international community to a new doctrine that would contribute greatly to defeating the Soviet Union. His idea of achieving "peace through strength" still resonates in today's world and President Obama should welcome it as cornerstone of his Administration's strategy to protect America.   More Events: May 12, 2010, 2:00 PM Location: Washington, DC The Heritage Foundation: The Challenges and Opportunities of U.S. Policy in Asia Join us for this address by Stephen J. Hadley, former National Security Advisor to President George W. Bush. May 13, 2010, 1:30 PM Location: Washington, DC The Heritage Foundation: Maritime Challenges and the Future of the U.S. Navy Join our distinguished guest, Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations, as part of our Protect America Month series. Admiral Roughead, the highest ranking officer in the U.S. Navy and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will speak about keeping the U.S. and its allies safe and prosperous. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *   May 25, 2010, 5:00 PM Location: Washington, DC The Heritage Foundation: Screening of "Terror in Mumbai" This Protect America Month event, jointly hosted by the Indian Embassy and the Heritage Foundation, documents the three-day Lashkar-e-Taiba attack against Mumbai.     Copyright All Rights Reserved © 2009, The Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation | 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002 | 202.546.4400