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essary prerequisites for any humane society.
It is no wonder, then, that the Founding Fathers seemed preoccupied in their writings with defending America. George Washington declared that “The safety of the United States, under Divine protection, ought to rest on the basis of systematic and solid arrangements, exposed as little as possible to the hazards of fortuitous circumstances.” He said at another point: ‘To be prepared for war is one of the effectual means of preserving peace.”
James Madison echoed the same sentiments when he explained that “Security against foreign danger is ... an avowed and essential object of the American Union.”
But is what Madison said still true? Is the national defense still regarded as an avowed and essential object of the Union? If one listens to recent debates about cutting the defense budget, the answer to this question is far from clear. Congressmen and senators urge us to spend more on social programs rather than more on weapons — not recognizing that in an important sense, the national defense is the ultimate social program. It is the social program on which all else rises or falls. For without a free and peaceful society, there would be no need for social programs at all.
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