We're #1! We're #1! We're #1! But at what cost?

Barack Obama is trying to find ways to save money.

The most obvious place to do that would be by reducing defense budgets. We need better strategies and a more efficient and effective contract procurement and oversight process. Our use of the military in the world tends to backfire and blowback in our faces, meaning the only consistent winners within our policies are the defense industry. Defense spending is the largest, most wasteful and often counter-productive spending we do. It's also one of the last things our nation produces. 

Obama likely wants to give the impression that he's cutting defense budgets in order to politically calm the anxieties many felt about the Bush admin's increased abuse and dependence on the military. Will that actually take place? I don't believe so, but we'll see. There are many ways to spin the numbers. This is one of the two or three most powerful lobbies in the nation. At the least, I'd like to see a major reduction in waste and corruption in this area.

NAFTA is being militarized. "Leaders of Canada, the US, and Mexico have been meeting to secretly expand the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with “deep integration” of a more militarized tri-national Homeland Security force. Taking shape under the radar of the respective governments and without public knowledge or consideration, the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP)—headquartered in Washington—aims to integrate the three nations into a single political, economic, and security bloc."

In case we complain too much about everything, the army is buying riot gear.

The government likes to argue that it doesn't spend your income tax dollars on military, but is that true?

At the very least, is it too much to ask that the military stop "misplacing" billions in cash and equipment?

Amnesty Internation: Israel and Hamas are guilty of war crimes.

‘Since the October War in 1973, Washington has provided Israel with a level of support dwarfing the amounts provided to any other state. It has been the largest annual recipient of direct U.S. economic and military assistance since 1976 and the largest total recipient since World War ll. Total direct U.S. aid to Israel amounts to well over $140 billion in 2003 dollars.

Israel receives about $3 billion in direct foreign assistance each year, which is roughly one-fifth of America’s entire foreign aid budget. In per capita terms, the United States gives each Israeli a direct subsidy worth about $500 per year. This largesse is especially striking when one realizes that Israel is now a wealthy industrial state with a per capita income roughly equal to South Korea or Spain.’ (John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt)

Rep Baird-D wants US to reassess aid to Israel. After visiting Gaza last week, he was struck by "the level of destruction, the scope of it, specifically the civilian targets - schools, hospitals, industry."'

What about Saudi Arabia and Pakistan ?

The United States is the clear leader in worldwide arms sales, with about 60% global market share of arm sales. Of the 100 largest arms-producing companies, 43 are US companies, including 8 of the 10 largest.

Have you ever heard anyone state that we don't export anything? We export weapons and weapons technology, though often not via routes that pay taxes to the US government.

Is the US Ramping up Dirty Wars in Latin America?

Yesterday I mentioned the lawsuit coming from Geronimo's relatives alleging that a Yale fraternity stole Geronomo from his grave. Yesterday the House honored Geronimo.

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Get some exercise! A healthy body is a healthy mind is a healthy individual and a healthy nation. Commit and don't quit! Happy Tuesday.