Is the U.S. investing for the future? It’s easy to sense the priorities in Washington these days, put in place by big money power over time. War is a major priority, the rationale being security for country and citizens.
The well-established global arms trade with its enormous profits is full of corruption, greed, slaughter, and other unimaginable horrors. The U.S. has been the leading arms supplier to warring factions for years, often to both sides.
The mountainous budget of the military/industrial complex is enormous. Having never been audited, perhaps it is not auditable. It has trouble accounting for billions of dollars now and then, and loses track of inventory stored around the globe. There is no rational reason to increase the budget for the bottomless pit of waste, endless wars, military bases in 80-plus countries, special ops in more than 100 countries, and more. A credible estimate of the cost for the “war on terror” since 9/11 is nearly $5 trillion.
Are Americans getting accustomed to permanent war? Constant fear mongering and pitting citizens against others contributes. Planes and drones bombing in distant places hardly register in our lives. However, 20 U.S. active military and veterans commit suicide every day! Presidents bomb anywhere anytime without congressional consent. Let’s find our morality, humanity, and decency. It’s time for accountability! It’s time for less violence and more investments in a safer and saner future!
This article appears in Apr 6-13, 2017.
