The US defense budget only increased 20% in 2002 compared with 1999 so it can't be true that Clinton starved defense to balance the budget.
Bush just passed a $400 billion roads and highways bill which is a massive Keynesian strategy to pump the economy and create jobs over 5 years.
Meanwhile China can spend far less on defense and still add more ordnance because of its lower cost base. They will have more subs than the US in 5 years time.
Whatever the plan was it backfired on Bush bigtime.
