If you were hoping, after a bitterly contentious presidential campaign, that at least we’d have consensus on national defense spending — tough luck. Instead, teams from five leading thinktanks, all using the same budget simulator, came up with a more than $2 trillion spread of options. You can watch them debate live here (moderated by, well, me) starting at 9am:
Do you think we need an urgent buildup to counter Russia, China, and the Islamic State? That’ll be $1.3 trillion extra over the next 10 years, please, conservatives estimate. Would you rather save one trillion instead? Sure, libertarians say, but our allies will have to protect themselves. Or would you rather steer a middle course between the high- and low-cost options? Then get ready for tough choices on what parts of the military to modernize for a major-power war and which parts to keep cheap for day-to-day counterterrorism — what’s called a “high/low mix.”