We are engaged in America’s longest war — in Afghanistan. Yet we will stay there until 2014. Why? More Afghans and Americans will die, and billions more will be spent, money that will go directly to the 1 percent. How does this make us more free?
Understand how public money is allocated. 31 percent of the national budget is discretionary, meaning we can use it on energy, the environment, science, education and the military. But of that 31 percent, a whopping 57 percent goes to the military. That's 27 cents of every dollar while science receives 1 cent, education 2.5 cents and so forth. Not much left for people, yet the people pay the lion’s share of taxes.
Shockingly, $1 billion spent on education yields 26,700 jobs, yet that same amount spent on the military gets us only 11,200 jobs.
Marvin Gaye told us, “War is not the answer.” It never was and never will be. “Jobs, not war!” has to resonate with each of us.
- Carolyn McCrady, Gary, member of Peace and Justice Can Win
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