Military
expenditures come first
LUBBOCK,
Texas (U-WIRE) --
Four
hundred billion dollars.
Take
a minute to wrap your mind around that number.
Read
it again.
This
is the amount of money the president and
his merry band of men received for the defense
budget. In one year the Pentagon will find
a way to spend $400 billion.
This
number doesn't include, mind you, the $30
billion allotted to domestic security (or
"homeland" if you want to be an
idiot about it) and the $87 billion earmarked
for whatever it is we are saying we are
doing over in the Middle East.
This
is the largest defense budget ever. Now
before you people get that little feeling
on the top of your stomach that tells you
I'm an unpatriotic spoiled little tree hugger
who doesn't understand that these are "uncertain
times" calling for blah, blah, blah
(my best non-verbal Bush impression), just
stop.
No
I didn't forget about the attacks. Yes,
I know that thousands of men and women died
because of the actions of a few cowardly
highjackers.
But
that does not change the fact that the "leaders"
of our country are acting irresponsibly
by asking for and accepting such a ridiculously
large amount of dinero.
The
U.S. military is already the strongest in
the world. We have the most complex and
expensive combat equipment tax money can
buy. The only problem is we simply do not
need to.
Take for instance the ballistic missile
defense system. There is nearly $10 billion
just for research on one of the most inconsistent
if not absolutely ineffective cash cows
around. Has it ever worked? No. Well, once.
But I doubt that the bad guys will place
homing devices on their warheads and send
them straight at our defenses. Or maybe
they will.
But,
we have soldiers still losing their lives
because their standard-issue service rifles
are jamming like Kool Rock Ski in Krush
Groove.
Really
though, the problem isn't that we are spending
more money on superfluous military technology
than most of the world combined, it is that
no one does anything about it and if we
let things keep on going like they are,
soon we may never have the chance.
Contrary
to most people's barely ajar mind, the government
is not looking out for your interests. I
know it may be hard to take, but you have
to face reality. The government is run by
white men with money. Plain and simple.
If
you think I'm just out to bash on the president
or Republicans in general, you're wrong.
Members of both parties are to blame. But
I struggle to justify why it is that Bush
will not release documents dealing with
his involvement with Enron.
Then
I remember the one mantra that rings louder
in politics than any other human endeavor
-- the truth hurts.
And
the truth is we are headed for something
bad. If the American system continues down
this road, we are not going to make it.
We
are a country that tries to regulate freedom
around the globe. If another nation gets
out of line the big bad hand of the U.S.
military makes sure it gets back in. But
back home we still have lobbyists and CEOs
making the decisions that not only affect
American citizens here in the states or
overseas, but the citizens of the world
as well.
I
know it's going to be a struggle. The system
is so entrenched and fortified to serve
its own purpose that it seems like a waste
of a lifetime to do anything about it. I
know most of you reading this understand
what I'm saying because everyone else who
doesn't put the paper down a long time ago.
That's
what it will come down to. Our generation
isn't that far away from taking the reigns
of the globe. Around the world, 20-somethings
are deciding what kind of people they are
going to be and what they are going to try
and accomplish for humanity. In a dozen
years it will be people our age fighting
over how many billions we are going to spend
on weapons.
Perhaps my words will fall on deaf ears.
Perhaps someone will read this and make
a choice to start paying attention. Either
way, I hope you always remember it is our
problem. And it isn't going away on its
own.
I
however, am going away on my own. I've had
a good run here on these pages. It is time
to move on past what have been unimaginably
entertaining years. Thanks again to all
those out there who have expressed their
feelings towards my writing. You made it
worthwhile.
It's
been fun folks. See you on the news.
This
column first appeared in the University
Daily at Texas Technological University.
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