Military Spending, Domestic Cuts – Wrong-headed

March 5, 2017 – Arizona Daily Sun

Where does President Trump get his information? Yesterday, 3/2/17, he talked about “endless defense budget cuts” and the need for “improved defense” on the Gerald R. Ford nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Russia has one conventional powered aircraft carrier with less capabilities than the 10 nuclear powered U.S. carriers we have. Russia also has “a dearth of highly trained aviators” according to the Wall Street Journal. The new F35 U. S. fighter aircraft is the most capable in the world. China has one aircraft carrier built on the hull of a freighter.

Our Senator John McCain, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said the $54 billion proposed to be added to defense spending by Trump “would do little to help the Pentagon.” (AZ Daily Sun 2/28/17). Trump plans to take $54 billion from the civilian federal government and foreign aid. This will hurt the clean environment we all depend on, federal research and spending on disease control, control of the big banks and Wall Street, federal courts to control Trump, agriculture, the weather service, air traffic control and safety, etc. Reduction in foreign aid will hurt impoverished peoples and give a boost to ISIS recruitment and diminish our standing in the world.

Increasing defense spending is wasteful and unnecessary. Robbing the civilian federal government and foreign aid will hurt us all. Both Trump proposals are based on wrong information and ideology.

RON REID

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Posted in Letters to the Editor.