1/ Sometimes it feels like people have just thrown up their hands and given up when it comes to American militarism. The Pentagon spends $2 billion a day or $1 million a minute. That’s not for garden parties.
2/ Here are examples of $ to be spent in the current in the NDAA: billions for 93 F-35 fighters built by Lockheed Martin, *14 more than the Pentagon requested*, and $23.4 billion for the Navy to build nine warships, an increase of $3.5 billion from the service's budget request.
3/ The bill would clear the way for the procurement of a new Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine, two Virginia-class attack subs, two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, a new Constellation-class frigate, an expeditionary fast transport ship and two towing and salvage ships.
4/ 53 cents of every dollar we spend goes to defense-related activity; we’re a permanent war economy. Yet unlike when I was young, the war machine in DC has succeeded now in creating mass acceptance that this is just the way it is. Politicians get away with not even mentioning it
5/ Yet transitioning from a war economy to a peace economy should be as high on our list of goals as transition from a dirty economy to a green economy. And they’re inextricably tied. DOD is one of the worst polluters; there’s no such thing as a “green war.”
6/ $ spent on infrastructure & education add more to US economy than defense investment. Does military create jobs? Yes! But those same job skills could as easily be applied to infrastructure jobs etc. We spend billions *above* what the Pentagon says it needs for a strong defense
7/ People are homeless & sick, children hungry & uneducated and our infrastructure sucks so Raytheon, Northrup Grumman & Boeing can get more contracts. We allow core needs of our society to go unaddressed so a few people can make more money. This has nothing to do with security.
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