At a time when the nation continues to face dire economic straits, I’m glad that representatives like Senator Menendez and President Obama are taking a stand against the congressional Republicans and their attempts to increase military spending at the expense of the middle class. House Republicans have submitted a Bombs Not Bread budget which would undo mandated cuts to military spending and pay for it by cutting food stamps, school lunches and children’s healthcare. This comes at a time when we should be looking to end all foreign military campaigns and focus on home. Republican doomsayers speak of a pending end to America as we know it, but one sure way to hasten the end of our nation’s prosperity is to engage our military in countless conflicts around the globe. We would do well to heed the hard economic lessons that the Russians learned through their protracted struggle in Afghanistan. Yes, it is important to protect US citizens and interests abroad. However, American forces should only be deployed when absolutely necessary. Throwing billions at the pentagon only serves to encourage greater use of our armed services without increasing the security of the United States. The net result is enriching the military/industrial complex at our expense. It’s time we put our money where our mouth is and focused on the very real needs right here at home. If we eliminate the countless billions being spent on foreign wars, we will have more than enough to take care of all of our domestic needs. Again, I encourage Senator Menendez to continue to protect the middle class from assaults without and within. We need more principled representatives like you who will put our interests first.
