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CONNECTING THE DOTS

More About: Politics: General Activism

AMERICA IS BROKE AND IN THE POOR HOUSE

Back in 1965, the United States of America enjoyed the status of being the largest lender nation in the world.  Today, America suffers the enigma of being the largest debtor nation on the planet. 
 
The U.S. government borrows in excess of $2 billion a day to float its false economy where manufacturing has been shipped off to China and every other country in the world.
 
Today, our $800 billion a year military budget wastes untold amounts of money that does nothing to keep Americans safe or secure.   In a definitive statement, retired Army combat veteran Colonel Andrew J. Bacevich wrote a book: Washington Rules: America’s Path to Permanent War.
 
In it, Bacevich said, “America uses its military power for global power projection and global interventionism and has since the Truman administration. The US spends $800 billion annually, as much or greater outlays of treasure than is spent by all the rest of the world combined for military spending.”
 
The military industrial complex rules our U.S. Congress like Indiana Jones whipping a mouse into submission.   At this time, 572,000 military personnel reside on 761 bases in 39 countries around the world according to Bacevich.  Costs: into the trillions of wasted dollars over the years.
 
And while every state in the Union runs in red ink, the Pentagon burns through $12 billion every 30 days in three wars that have absolutely nothing to do with our defense, safety or security.   The same could be said for the 35,000 troops stationed in Korea for 50 years: no use, no need and no purpose under the sun.
 
The U.S. Government bleeds the American people to an ugly financial death.  It has run up a $14.4 trillion debt that will ultimately collapse the entire monetary system within the United States.
 
How about foreign aid?  We give Israel over $3 billion annually and have done so for the past 40 years. We give Pakistan from $2 to 3 billion annually. We give Egypt money in the same vicinity.  All for what?    Pakistan allowed bin Laden to live in a luxury compound with his three wives for the past five to 10 years.  You say, “But nobody knew.”  In a pig’s eye!  People listen, people see, people talk! 
 
Remember Marcos in the Philippines?   His wife bought 3,000 pairs of shoes from U.S. taxpayer coffers from foreign aid.  Egypt’s Mubarak stashed his aid money in Swiss bank accounts.  Too bad cancer will take away his pleasures, but you better bet somebody will be spending that money.
 
Foreign aid takes money from poor people of a rich country and gives it to rich people of a poor country.  It never reaches the poor of a poor country! 
 
How about the $1 trillion spent by the Drug Enforcement Agency on the War on Drugs for the past 40 years?  Has it stopped one kid from smoking crack, snorting cocaine or stopped any addict from shooting up heroin?  Not one!  What has it done?  It’s put 38 million Americans into prison at U.S. taxpayer cost over the past 40 years.  We’ve built more new prisons than new colleges.  You almost can’t stop laughing if you aren’t crying from the insanity of it all.
 
With that $14 trillion debt, Americans pay $600 million in interest every day to maintain it. Think how that money would benefit our schools, communities and infrastructure maintenance instead of going into the pockets of the bankers.
 
EVERY STATE IN THE UNION WALLOWS IN DEBT: $430 BILLION TOTAL
At the same time, our Congress blows all our money in various ways, every single state in the Union runs in red ink.  Ironically, Nevada just sent the incompetent U.S. Senator Harry Reid back to Washington DC while his state wallows in $45.2 billion debt.  Same for McCain of AZ, Schumer of NY, Udall of CO, Boxer of CA, Feinstein of CA, Levin of MI and the list dribbles down the line.  (Source: Marsha Mercer, Going Broke, AARP, May 2011)
 
Does anyone realize that if that idiot of a senator along with the other 99 idiots voted our military to pull out of those three inane wars, Harry could pay off his state’s debt within four months?  (4 months x $12 billion=$48 billion)  From there, we could pretty well pay off every state’s debt within the past decade of wars. 
 
But instead, the American people sit blithely by watching their sons and daughters suffer death (4,400 young, innocent and naïve kids), amputations (thousands) and horrific emotional and mental instability into the hundreds of thousands—without standing up or speaking out.  Just like Vietnam and Korea!
 
How many of you have called your senators and house member to demand they withdraw from all three wars.  I’m betting less than one percent.  That’s why those wars continue because of our national apathy.  The money makers count on it count on it as mentioned in Bacevich’s book.
 
How long will those wars go on and how long will our government continue to drive this society into unfathomable debt?  Answer: until our whole system collapses like a deck of cards in Hurricane Katrina. 
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