Bold Ideas From George McGovern
Most people associate George McGovern with his crushing defeat in the 1972 presidential contest against Richard Nixon and for being the face of anti-war liberalism and the peace movement during the Vietnam War more than four decades ago.
Most people associate George McGovern with his crushing defeat in the 1972 presidential contest against Richard Nixon and for being the face of anti-war liberalism and the peace movement during the Vietnam War more than four decades ago. But at 86, he's still very active and still floating controversial ideas about war and defense spending.
In an op-ed Monday in the Wall Street Journal, McGovern calls for a 50% reduction in the U.S. defense budget and for all military troops to be brought back from Iraq and Afghanistan by Thanksgiving.
Neither will happen, but that doesn't mean the argument the former South Dakota senator makes should be easily dismissed. He makes some worthwhile points.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hwgJ7osrMtUWhk5koeVme7-200-80.png](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hwgJ7osrMtUWhk5koeVme7-320-80.png)
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
McGovern would redirect much of the savings from slashing the defense budget to other sources of national security. It's worth the debate it won't get. An awful lot of Pentagon spending is inefficient and wasteful, often going to programs and weapon systems championed by individual members of Congress but not by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Many are for programs that stopped being appropriate when the Cold War ended, like the B-2 bomber.
The defense lobby has to be the biggest in Washington, and defense-related committee members are among the most influential in Congress. The budget would never be cut in any such drastic way. Still, a couple hundred billion more a year for other types of national security work, such as border control and greater human intelligence at spy agencies, would be quite a boost to our security.
McGovern would also use some of the savings from ending the wars for a broad new GI Bill of Rights, allowing every soldier a fully-paid college education at the school of his or her choice, public or private. That would cost a tiny fraction of the $12 billion being spent in Iraq and Afghanistan each month, and it would have a good return on investment for service men and women who deserve our thanks and support. Education is always a winner.
McGovern, a World War II bomber pilot, used the old GI Bill of his generation to gain a Ph.D. in history that probably helped propel him to enter politics. He recently authored a history book, "Abraham Lincoln" about the continuing influence the 16th president has on American life.
In any event, McGovern, the aging and fading liberal icon, is well worth reading and paying attention to. He's fought losing battles before, and his new ideas will be probably go down as losers, too. It would be good if a congressional hearing or two was devoted to them, though. McGovern deserves that.
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
-
Kamala Harris Calls for 28% Capital Gains Tax, Diverging from Biden's Higher Rate
Capital Gains Capital gains tax rates are an important issue for some voters in the upcoming November election.
By Kelley R. Taylor Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Extend Slide Amid Cooling Labor Market
Stocks continued their September slump after job openings hit a multiyear low.
By Dan Burrows Published
-
AI Regulation is Looming: Kiplinger Economic Forecasts
Economic Forecasts Find out what Washington and regulators have planned for artificial intelligence.
By John Miley Published
-
The Biden Tax Plan: How the Build Back Better Act Could Affect Your Tax Bill
Politics Depending on your income, the Build Back Better Act recently passed by the House could boost or cut your future tax bills.
By Rocky Mengle Published
-
Kiplinger's 2020 Election Forecast
Politics For nearly a century, The Kiplinger Letter has forecasted the outcome of presidential elections to keep readers informed of what's coming and what it means for them. Here's our call for 2020.
By The Kiplinger Washington Editors Published
-
The 2020 Election and Your Money
Politics We’ve assessed how the presidential candidates’ stances on financial issues will affect your wallet.
By the editors of Kiplinger's Personal Finance Published
-
5 HEROES Act Provisions with a Good Chance of Becoming Law
Politics The massive federal stimulus bill just passed by the House of Representatives is "dead on arrival" in the Senate. But a few proposals in the bill have enough bipartisan support to eventually become law.
By Rocky Mengle Published
-
Vote by Mail: A State-by-State Guide to Absentee Ballot Voting
Politics With health authorities recommending people continue to social distance, the idea of voting by mail is becoming an increasingly hot topic.
By Rivan V. Stinson Published
-
9 Ways COVID-19 Will Change the 2020 Elections
Politics The 2020 election will be like no other in history, as the COVID-19 pandemic will upend the business of politics as usual.
By Sean Lengell Published
-
How to Run for Local Office
Politics If you’ve ever thought that you could do a better job than the elected officials currently in office, here’s how to launch a campaign—and win.
By Kaitlin Pitsker Published