Anika Horowitz
Disarmament and Diplomacy Won’t Work
Increased military spending is dismissed from two directions. The left has adopted a postmodern, self-loathing pacifism characterized by moral relativism and failed appeasement. Meantime, right-wing isolationism has re-emerged, pandering to a populist base. Many progressives view war itself, rather than malign powers, as the enemy. This lack of moral clarity perpetuates the belief that conflict can be avoided through disarmament and diplomacy.
Yet history shows that adversaries take advantage of delusions and military unpreparedness. Germany began to rearm soon after World War I. The Allies responded by signing the Washington Naval Treaty, significantly limiting their naval power. Japan, which had also signed the treaty, invaded Manchuria in 1931. Soon after Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Agreement, allowing Germany to annex the Sudetenland, Hitler invaded Poland. By contrast, deterrence won the Cold War and has prevented World War III.
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