When someone refers to an “elephant in the room” the “elephant” usually is an issue that is obvious and significant that all choose to ignore. In regard to GOP candidates in the May 5 primary for U.S. House in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District, the GOP mascot is an interesting touch.
One of my opponents, Kent Abernathy, places NATIONAL DEFENSE as the first priority of the Federal government, says we have to “make responsible choices in how we best spend our defense dollars,” but implies our record budget deficits are due to State and local governments that do not “live within their means.”
Another of my opponents, Andrew Bales, decries our national debt of “23 Trillion dollars,” says we have “hocked the future of our children, grandchildren, and beyond” and suggests we “cut spending on wasteful programs such as billions in aid to other countries, or collect more revenue.”
Maybe I missed specifics of Rev Micah Beckwith’s views on the budget, but his bellicose comments on Twitter - apparently he liked how dt sent a missile “up the backside” of Iran (although the attack occurred in Iraq) - imply he thinks our military budget is okay.
“Nurse Beth” Henderson wants to “rebuild our military” - already the largest in the World and in history - and spending “is out of control in Washington.” One may reasonably infer she does not want to cut military spending.
“The size of the national debt in the United States has almost always been a function of war, including the Cold War.” Harvard Business School professor Thomas McCraw wrote that in the Winter 1994 issue of The American Scholar, p. 50.
The groups of people who cannot live “within their means” are the defense establishment - not only military leaders, but also military contractors - and very rich people who suck up tax cuts.
Our defense expenditures have been absurdly high. We have 37% of the World’s military budget. And we have military personnel and military resources in far too many places.
Currently we engage in an act of war against Iraq. That’s right - refusal of a nation to remove its armed forces from another nation when the latter demands removal is an act of war. Iraq’s parliament voted unanimously for the USA to withdraw our forces.
We have to remove our military from Iraq. Iraq has ordered that to occur. We are less secure when we bomb other countries in the modern era. We can afford to cut the military budget in half and we need to eliminate tax cuts for the very rich.
I am Mark Small, a candidate for U.S. House in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District. I am proud to be a progressive. I opposed our military involvement in Vietnam long ago.. I approve of this blog. Hell, I wrote it.