Jerseyrules
Sr. Member
Posts: 2,544
Political Matrix
E: 10.00, S: -4.26
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« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2015, 04:48:29 PM » |
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As a concerned citizen of Atlasia, I would like to take my opportunity to express my concern for the current budget figures being debated in the Senate.
My greatest concerns are the low spending we have with regards to the Atlasian Navy and space.
Naval supremacy is the backbone of our armed forces; as stated by Admiral Trost, "When a crisis confronts the nation, the first question asked by policy makers is: 'What naval forces are available and how fast can they be on station?'"
With the end of the Cold War, we have seen a reasonable decline in our navy, from a peak of nearly 600 ships. Yet the decline has continued at a concerning pace, where our naval forces have dwindled to less than half that number. The Nimitz was retired prior to its replacement, the Gerald R. Ford, being rendered combat-ready. This concerns me a great deal, as the forces of terror and jihad rage across the globe, particularly with the rise of the ISIS threat. Yet we must not neglect other groups which are hostile to the forces of freedom, all of which pose a threat to national security and our allies around the world. Our navy is the backbone of our global military supremacy, and is vital in our struggle to root out the forces of evil, and allows us to do so without regard to if they operate within our own borders or on the other side of the world.
Moreover, our space program has been vital in the development all sorts of technology, with military and civilian applications. Spin-off technologies from the space program has given us commonplace items such as artificial hearts, automatic insulin pumps, breast cancer screenings, emissions testing, x-rays, microlasers, protective clothing, cybernetic arms and hands, ultrasounds, satellite television, and more. They also inspired a generation of innovators such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.
The economic implications of ignoring space are not yet known, but it would be a tragedy if we wait around to find out. I would implore our senators to consider increased funding of space from $15 billion, less than .5% of our proposed budget, to $30 billion. Such an increase would represent less than 1% of each federal dollar spent in the budget. Surely we can afford this investment, which would allow us to more quickly return to the moon, construct a lunar base, and use said base as a launchpad for a human mission to Mars. It would allow for human adventure and exploration, and untold economic implications from spin-offs, space tourism, and more. Space has represented the greatest return on investment for any federal program thus far. Let's get back on the path of exploration and innovation. Let's start this year.
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