American Warscapes | TomDispatch

Tom Engelhardt has been at this a long time and he never fails to deliver. Here's a great post.

Tomgram: Engelhardt, American Warscapes | TomDispatch

Warmonger Waste

It was at about one-five-zero feet, while cruising at an undisclosed speed in an uncharted location, when I tried figure out the part that needed replacing for theelectro-suspended-gyro-navigator, otherwise known as ESGN to the well qualified. The part that needed replacing was actually the entire unit. One hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars in 1989 American cold cash. Nice. And those ESGN things seemed to go bonkers about once or twice a year to easily rack up about a million bucks. And we had to have them because they were instrumental for targeting nuclear weapons - if, that is, we were to ever have nukes on board, which I can neither confirm nor deny.

I didn't care how much the ESGN part would cost. Getting it fixed was an incomplete task that stood between me and liberty in Hawaii, or Guam, or Hong Kong, or the Philippines. It needed to get fixed so I could get off the submarine and into sunshine and fresh air. Besides, I wasn't spending my money for that thing. It was the tax payer, a distant vague being who could just as well be hanging out with Jesus and Confucius for all I cared - equally distant and unreal beings. The American taxpayer is a mythical being who hangs with uncle Sam and has bottomless pockets.

Today, over twenty years later, many pounds heavier and much balder, I find my kids school doesn't have enough cash for field trips. My city streets have pot holes. Programs for the poor and needy are being cut. Huge surpluses piled up in the go-go years of the 1990s have evaporated. Where has all the money gone?

Now, over in Afghanistan and Iraq and at about 800 bases around the world, the American military, hidden in distant lands from Americans, spend tons and lose tons of cash. The Pentagon is a drunk sailor in a red light district with hoards of taxpayer dollars at its disposal.

By the way, why are we at war? For freedom? Is that what you think? You're a naive fuck!

Check out the sweet retirement packages for those freeloader officers and Pentagon officials. They've got it made. They're welfare kings! Living off the taxpayer and fear while hiding behind patriotism.

What a warmongering nation of waste we've become!