The linkage between politicians’ unwillingness to fund domestic programs and the imperiled commitment to “the long war” might elude those in US foreign-policy circles, but it is not lost on the rest of the country. Opinion surveys suggest that Americans want to maintain many of the “discretionary” domestic programs – schools, hospitals, transportation infrastructure, recreational parks, etc. – that are now on the chopping block in budget negotiations.
这对美国外交来说可是个坏消息。政客一方面不愿为国内计划提供资金，一方面又在大打“漫长的战争”，美国外交圈可能会忽视两者之间的联系，但其他美国人可不会。民意调查显示，美国人愿意维持许多“自由裁量”国内计划——学校、医院、交通基础设施，休闲公园等——而这些计划如今成了预算谈判樽俎上的鱼肉。