the former ambassador to our united nations john bolten, on the connection. well, i guess we dribble and they dare. it's a weird world, isn't it? >> well, i think what is happening with the state of the economy is we're seeing if we don't get the recovery going we're going to have great difficulty in maintaining an adequate national defense. the president has already cut it to the bone while he's been ramping up with domestic stimulus spending and in the debt ceiling deal recently agreed by congress and the president, the trigger mechanism if it comes into play will result in absolutely devastating, essentially indiscriminate cuts to the military budget. so when you add all of these together, it's a pretty grim prospect if we don't change it. >> neil: which is why i was referring to an unnamed carrier, referring to the chinese showing off its military vessel that supposedly is going to be their start at being a super defensive power in their own right, flexing some muscle at the same time at a time when the u.s. financially is very weakest. >> no, absolutely.