Here’s the Boston Herald editorial board making a lot more sense than one is used to from the MSM, especially relating to defense.
Their point is that the Navy should consciously seek to maintain ships in “mothballs” instead of scrapping them, citing the long lead time to build replacements if/when needed. They also note the need for planned new construction to proceed at SOME level, in order to preserve a shipbuilding infrastructure, again for times of possible dire need.
What dire need might that be? The Herald takes note of the presently on-going ChiCom naval build-up, and the increasing assertiveness of ChiCom policies vis-a-vis the US in the Pacific, which is definitely something to bear in mind.