Hank Fox, The Blue Collar Atheist, after reading the ThinkProgress article “The $1.2 Trillion Trap: What America Gave Up For 10 Years Of War Since 9/11″ comments brilliantly and poignantly:
With $1.2 trillion, the U.S. could have done the following … every year for TEN YEARS:
- PROVIDED 63.3 MILLION SCHOLARSHIPS FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
- GIVEN 58.9 MILLION CHILDREN LOW-INCOME HEALTH CARE
- GIVEN 23.6 MILLION PEOPLE ACCESS TO LOW-INCOME HEALTHCARE
- PROVIDED 20.68 MILLION STUDENTS WITH PELL GRANTS WORTH $5,500
- PROVIDED 15.12 MILLION HEAD START SLOTS FOR CHILDREN
- PROVIDED VA CARE FOR 14.7 MILLION MILITARY VETERANS
- HIRED 2.01 MILLION FIREFIGHTERS
- HIRED 1.76 MILLION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS
- HIRED 1.73 MILLION POLICE OFFICERS
- RETROFITTED 69.4 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS FOR WIND POWER
- RETROFITTED 26 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS FOR SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC ENERGY
For $1.2 trillion, we could have fed the world’s hungry. Done something about population. Saved the mountain gorillas and whales. Cured a dozen major diseases. Built solar collectors in space to beam down virtually unlimited energy.
Instead, we killed people. Set up a network of secret prisons. Used torture. Assaulted freedoms in our own country. And sent young men and women of America off to die and be horribly injured.