Too, a new vision of peacemaking will help engender a reputation that is seen by millions in other countries as positive and progressive. Now the U.S. is seen without honor by many due to our aggressive incursions and war making efforts overseas over many years past. Today, in Iraq and Afghanistan, destruction occurs daily with more people and property beingharmed and damaged.
The causes for these U.S. involvements go back in our recent history and our motivations have been focused more on business and power concerns rather than human needs and welfare. This needs to change for the U.S. to become a progressive nation.
Today President Obama said, "I have often said that meeting our greatest challenges would require not only changing policies in Washington but changing the way business is done in Washington; that it would require a government that's more efficient and effective and less influenced by lobbyists and parochial politics."
It is up to us, the activists, to hold the President to these ideals and progressive agendas, to live up to his word with deeds that foster more peacemaking here at home and in the world. Reducing the military budget while increasing the use of our Department of State would be in keeping with creating a new vision of the U.S. as a honorable world power. Let us too invest much more of taxpayer monies into social services and the restoration of a vibrant economy without catering to special interests or mismanaged businesses or institutions. Let us continue to challenge the U.S. militerization in the world, pull back on military bases, weapons in space and the plans for worldwide missile defense systems.
The high cost of today's U.S. Defense budget is too high in terms of human lives and expenditures. Let's greatly alter and reduce it while establishing a new-progressive vision as a world's peacemaker and a nation of goodwill towards people of all nationalities and levels of development.
Arn Specter, Phila. (Twitter, http://www.opednews.com/populum/diarymanage.php)
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The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Please, everybody be seated.
Good afternoon. I have often said that meeting our greatest challenges would require not only changing policies in Washington but changing the way business is done in Washington; that it would require a government that's more efficient and effective and less influenced by lobbyists and parochial politics. And I'm pleased to say that when it comes to the defense bill I'm about to sign into law, we've taken some important steps towards that goal.
I want to acknowledge my outstanding Vice President, Joe Biden. (Applause.) Attorney General Eric Holder is here. (Applause.) And all members of Congress who are joining us here today, thank you very much for your outstanding work. You can give members of Congress a round of applause. (Applause.)
As Commander-in-Chief, I will always do whatever it takes to keep the American people safe, to defend this nation. And that's why this bill provides for the best military in the history of the world. It reaffirms our commitment to our brave men and women in uniform and our wounded warriors. It expands family leave rights for the family members of our troops and veterans. And it makes investments in the capabilities necessary to meet 21st century challenges.
But I have always rejected the notion that we have to waste billions of dollars of taxpayer money to keep this nation secure. In fact, I think that wasting these dollars makes us less secure. And that's why we have passed a defense bill that eliminates some of the waste and inefficiency in our defense process -- reforms that will better protect our nation, better protect our troops, and save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.
Now, at the outset, let me just say that this effort would not have been possible without an extraordinary Secretary of Defense. And so I want to thank publicly Bob Gates for his service to our nation. (Applause.)
Having served under eight Presidents of both parties, this is a man who understands that our defense budget isn't about politics, it's about the security of our country, and who knows that every dollar wasted is a dollar we can't spend to care for our troops or protect the homeland.
