There are those who claim that reductions in the spending on and deployment of weapons systems would result in a so-called “climate of peace,” thereby diminishing the likelihood of armed conflict. The facts show otherwise. These self-proclaimed pacifists are either the victims or the propagators of a false argument.

1.Which of the following is an assumption underlying the conclusion of the passage above?

A. Military actions involving our forces can be instigated by any number of different factors
B. Our buildup of weapons systems and combat personnel has prevented our adversaries from increasing their own spending on defense
C. The increased defense spending of the past 10 years has lessened the need for significant military expenditure in future decades
D. At the present time, state-of-the-art weapons systems and the augmentation of combat personnel are equally important to a nation’s defense
E. An established correlation between greater spending on weapons systems and a decreased incidence of conflict will persist