"This War Really Matters gives readers a close-up view of the battle between the 105th Congress and the Pentagon as they worked to agree on a $250 billion defense budget. The author also looks ahead with an analytical eye to the difficulties of planning for a changing and largely unknown threat in the next century. He asks tough questions that are necessary to address: Are we ready for future wars? Does the Pentagon need more money, or can it do more with less? Which weapons are really needed and which are tied to pork barrel politics?"--BOOK JACKET.

Includes index.

Foreword / Lawrence J. Korb 1. Firing the Opening Shot 2. The Cautious Blueprint 3. Looking Through the Military's End of the Telescope 4. Guns Versus Butter 5. Spurning the Holy Grail 6. Heating Up the Iron 7. Realpolitik Behind the Scenes 8. Is There a Better Way? 9. The Turnaround 10. Shooting the Messenger: A Case History 11. Peering Into the Future 12. Summing Up

The Federal Government Dollar - Where It Comes From Revenue by Source - Summary The Federal Government Dollar - Where It Goes Total Spending by Function Discretionary Spending by Agency Department of Defense Outlays by Service, 1945-2005 Department of Defense Manpower, 1940-2001 Military Force Trends Department of Defense Budget Authority by Service, 1996-2005 Department of Defense Budget Authority by Title, 1996-2005 Where Military Dollars Are Spent Procurement Dollars The Pentagon.