re: Shrink the military? Can right and left agree on this?

The problem is that with modern technology, the gap between the beginning of hostilities and when an enemy could realistically project force against the people and resources of the United States has gone from months to seconds. Our two oceans which protected us throughout the late 18th through the early 20th century is no longer the deterrent it once was. There is simply no longer enough time to "build up" when conflict comes any more.

Instead of taking months for an aggressive force to cross an ocean or thousands of miles of wilderness to project force, the press of a button could anhilate a city in minutes. In a day or two, entire armies could be on our shores and in the interior within a week. This has necessitated a completely different approach.

Mutually assured destruction has mostly prevented nuclear holocaust, while keeping a relatively large standing army and navy has allowed for "preventative action" as well as the capacity for instantaneous response to threats of force.