Key questions on national defense

The President is the commander in chief over the military. Who would be best to decide foreign policy and to send troops to a foreign country in our Collaborative Democracy? We have been indoctrinated that we need a George Washington-type President to defend us from adversaries. That feels good but we don't need a President for that, we have generals. Many other countries keep the military separate from the administration of the country. For example, Switzerland has no commander in chief. In times of war, a commander in chief is elected by the Swiss Federal Assembly from among their 4-star generals. Their commander in chief is released when the war is over.

When most people consider the question of who would control the military, they assume the purpose of the military is to protect the US from attacks by foreign governments and terrorists. National defense was the original reason why our government chose to maintain a standing military. However, deciding who controls the military during a war is only one of the important questions. There are three major questions to consider regarding our national defense and foreign policy under a Collaborative Democracy.

1. Who would decide our foreign policy strategy? As part of our foreign policy, who would decide how foreign aid would be used and when US companies would be allowed to sell military weapons, equipment, and technology to foreign powers?

2. Who would determine the level of military research and development, weapons, and troops needed to keep us safe?

3. Who would have the power to send troops to foreign lands outside of a declaration of war? Who would have the authority to declare war and who would control the troops should a declaration of war be made?

These critical decisions are also major factors in the national defense budget. As the number of active military has been reduced, the number of contracted personnel has risen rapidly. Even within the government and the "military expert" community, there are many diverse opinions regarding the right level of troops, military equipment, foreign aid, research and development, and contracted services. We will examine each of these three critical questions listed above to determine who would be the best decision makers for each one under our Collaborative Democracy.