Lost Blood and Treasure
The National Priorities Project, using information obtained from the United States budget, has drawn some conclusions about how much we pay for these wars. We pay $615,482 per hour for ongoing operations against ISIS. Afghanistan costs us $4 million per hour (without counting the new troops being sent there), and the remaining operations in Iraq cost us $117,000 per hour. It has concluded we pay $8.36 million per hour for all the wars since 2001.
What else could we do with all that money? The National Priorities Project illustrates how it could be spent to help our own people and our own economy:
- Millions of teachers could be hired.
- Millions of jobs could be created in poverty-stricken communities.
- Our ailing infrastructure could be remodeled and rebuilt.
- Scholarships could be funded for students who can't afford college.
- Our military veterans could receive the care they deserve.
The list goes on.
Americans are tired of war, yet Donald Trump's budget sends an unfortunate but clear message. He is willing to cut funds that help the poor, protect the environment, and promote the arts -- things that generally keep us happy and safe -- in order to fund a never-ending, ever-growing war machine. He's taking money from Meals on Wheels to buy billion-dollar bombers.
Fortunately, Trump's budget is only a request. Congress has to approve it, and even though the president enjoys a Republican-majority House and Senate, it does not mean his budget will go through. Yes, Congress members gets pressure from the administration, the Pentagon and the companies that profit from making weapons. But they also get pressure from their constituents, who are demanding that our money goes to community needs, not down a black hole of endless war.
You can sign a petition to Congress here. Let's see who they listen to.
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