In his farewell address, Dwight D. Eisenhower famously warned against the “military-industrial complex,” stating, “We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex.” We are now experiencing the results of ignoring that warning. Defense contractors have controlled our foreign policies for decades. We taxpayers reportedly pay more than the next nine countries combined on weapons.

What benefit does the U.S. taxpayer realize from our allies spending more on their defense? They are going to produce their own weapons, and it appears we are increasing our defense spending once again. One would think that the $37 trillion of debt would discourage the excessive spending.

We have to realize that the military-industrial complex has successfully managed to create the largest jobs program in history. Paid all by the taxpayer and financed by borrowing from foreign countries that enjoy our increasing the debt. Unfortunately we are so dependent on government spending in the production of weapons, no senator nor congressperson has the guts to recommend cuts.

People don’t vote for the future, they vote for today. Our children and grandchildren will show their disappointment for our failures to balance our budget.

Thomas Turner
Augusta