John Bolton lays out ‘three critical elements’ to prepare for possible cold war
Brady Knox
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Former national security adviser John Bolton laid out “three critical elements” the United States needs to prepare for a possible cold war with Russia and China.
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Bolton argued that the U.S. should drastically increase military spending, fortify and expand its alliances, and drive a wedge between Russia and China in order to emerge victorious in a potential second cold war. While Bolton acknowledged the difficulties associated with each point, he said that the U.S. should continue to pursue those goals.
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Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin released the president’s fiscal 2024 defense budget in March. The U.S. is projected to spend $842 billion on the military, a $26 billion increase from the previous year and a $100 billion increase from the year before. However, Bolton argues that this is too little.
He proposed bringing U.S. defense spending back to its Reagan-era level, which, although less than current spending, was more costly when adjusted to America’s gross domestic product. He proposed keeping it at this level for the foreseeable future.
However, the former national security adviser also said that the U.S. needs to eliminate deficits and shrink the national debt. As such, he proposed drastically cutting domestic spending.
“Federal budgets need substantial reductions to eliminate deficits and shrink the national debt, so higher military spending necessitates even greater reductions domestically. So be it,” he wrote. “Neither the obese welfare state nor massive income-redistribution schemes protect us from foreign adversaries. Higher levels of economic growth, freed from crushing tax and regulatory burdens, will underlie the necessary military buildup.”
Bolton argued that such increased military spending is needed to revive U.S. thinking of “full-spectrum superiority.”
As for the second element, Bolton argued for the global expansion of NATO, starting with adding Japan, Australia, and Israel. He alleged that many NATO members aren’t pulling their weight and should be made to do so.
He also said that other regional alliances in Asia and the Pacific should be shored up and the U.S. should solidify its military ties with Taiwan.
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As for the third element, Bolton expressed confidence that Ukraine will win its war with Russia, saying it was “when” rather than if. In the war’s aftermath, he speculated that Russia’s government would likely collapse. The potential collapse of Russia would lead to a period of uncertainty and possible fragmentation. America’s priority in such a period should be prying Russia away from Beijing’s influence.
Bolton has expressed interest in running for president in 2024 on the Republican ticket, where he plans to institute this new strategy. However, the former national security adviser’s run is seen as a long shot.