I'm impressed our Congress is debating raising the national debt limit above $14 trillion, yet our president this past weekend committed $20 billion of foreign aid to Egypt and Tunisia -- in addition to billions contributed by the IMF, of which we are the major benefactor.
Where is the congressional debate and oversight? Recently, we dropped hundreds of millions of dollars worth of missiles in Libya. We daily spend billions to have troops stationed all over the world. This doesn't count the hundreds of billions spent annually to fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Let's not forget the billions of dollars given to countries that dislike or even hate us.
Should we really raise the debt limit to continue this folly?
Is it too naive to think we could possibly go a long way toward balancing our budget -- and providing much needed relief to our own people -- by putting a moratorium on foreign aid until we can afford it, and begin pulling our troops back home from all over the world?
It's time these countries begin paying for their own defense. It is not fair they get to spend funds they would normally allocate to their own defense budget on social programs, such as education, health care and retirement, then claim those programs are better than ours (which I don't believe).
Can you imagine how wonderful our health care and education systems would be if we weren't wasting money on other countries? Plus our retirees wouldn't have to worry that their retirement funds are being depleted.
Wouldn't it be great to use our returning troops to help rebuild the tornado-ravaged South or assist all those poor people flooded out in the Mississippi Valley? What about using them to protect our borders? Can they help us build schools and hospitals? What about the poor in Appalachia?
Taxpayers might not be so resentful if their dollars were put to such good use.
I find it amazing we can train our troops in months, yet we haven't been able to train Iraqi and Afghan troops in more than 10 years. Could it be time for them to sink or swim?
This is an oversimplified discourse on a complex problem; however, it is time for our federal elected officials to begin a full-blown public debate and disclosure of facts to the American people.
I suspect most of us will not like what we learn.
» Dr. Alex Azar lives in Salisbury.
source
Where is the congressional debate and oversight? Recently, we dropped hundreds of millions of dollars worth of missiles in Libya. We daily spend billions to have troops stationed all over the world. This doesn't count the hundreds of billions spent annually to fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Let's not forget the billions of dollars given to countries that dislike or even hate us.
Should we really raise the debt limit to continue this folly?
Is it too naive to think we could possibly go a long way toward balancing our budget -- and providing much needed relief to our own people -- by putting a moratorium on foreign aid until we can afford it, and begin pulling our troops back home from all over the world?
It's time these countries begin paying for their own defense. It is not fair they get to spend funds they would normally allocate to their own defense budget on social programs, such as education, health care and retirement, then claim those programs are better than ours (which I don't believe).
Can you imagine how wonderful our health care and education systems would be if we weren't wasting money on other countries? Plus our retirees wouldn't have to worry that their retirement funds are being depleted.
Wouldn't it be great to use our returning troops to help rebuild the tornado-ravaged South or assist all those poor people flooded out in the Mississippi Valley? What about using them to protect our borders? Can they help us build schools and hospitals? What about the poor in Appalachia?
Taxpayers might not be so resentful if their dollars were put to such good use.
I find it amazing we can train our troops in months, yet we haven't been able to train Iraqi and Afghan troops in more than 10 years. Could it be time for them to sink or swim?
This is an oversimplified discourse on a complex problem; however, it is time for our federal elected officials to begin a full-blown public debate and disclosure of facts to the American people.
I suspect most of us will not like what we learn.
» Dr. Alex Azar lives in Salisbury.
source
