We Americans have funny notions about foreign aid. Recent polls show that, on average, we believe 28% of the federal budget is eaten up by it, and that, in a time of austerity, this gigantic bite of the budget should be cut back to 10%. In actual fact, barely 1% of the federal budget goes to foreign aid of any kind. Overall, the United States covers nearly one quarter of Israel’s defense budget — from tear gas canisters to F-16 fighter jets. In their 2008-2009 assault on Gaza, the Israeli Defense Forces made use of M-92 and M-84 “dumb bombs,” Paveway II and JDAM guided “smart bombs,” AH-64 Apache attack helicopters equipped with AGM-114 Hellfire guided missiles, M141 “bunker defeat” munitions, and special weapons like M825A1 155mm white phosphorous munitions — all supplied as American foreign aid.
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As Israel Prospers, Obama Set to Give Billions More in Aid While Netanyahu Demands Even More
For all the chatter about animosity between U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, The Washington Post reports that “a senior Israeli official will arrive in Washington next week for a final round of negotiations involving the largest military aid package the United States has ever given any country and that will last more than a decade after President Obama leaves office.” The U.S. already transfers $3.1 billion in taxpayer money every year to Israel – more than any other country by far – but the new agreement Obama is set to sign “significantly raises” that amount, and guarantees it for 10 years.
Pence is wrong: The U.S. spends way too much on its military
Despite Michael Pence’s claim that we need to begin by “rebuilding our military,” the U.S. is not even close to losing its overwhelming military dominance.. Last year, the United States spent $600 billion on its military – roughly as much as the next eight countries put together.
Progressives’ Case Against Hillary Clinton
Let’s start with what Hillary Clinton stands for. She is pro-Wall Street, pro-Big Pharma, pro-Monsanto, pro-Fracking, pro-Big Media, pro-globalism, pro-TPP (yes, she is) and pro-military industrial complex. She is funded by the 0.1% and will rule for the 0.1%.
What a Real Review of U.S. Military Assistance to Saudi Arabia Would Say
Americans have not paid much attention to the war In Yemen. With all eyes on Syria and the neo-Cold War rivalry there with Russia, Yemen did not come up at all in the presidential debates. Yet according to UN figures, the war has left 10,000 dead and 900,000 civilians displaced — and it arguably implicates the United States even more than the Syrian conflict.
It’s Worse Than You Think
Widespread social unrest will ignite when Donald Trump’s base realizes it has been betrayed. I do not know when this will happen. But that it will happen is certain. Investments in the stocks of the war industry, internal security and the prison-industrial-complex have skyrocketed since Trump won the presidency. There is a lot of money to be made from a militarized police state.
A New Documentary Explores the Devastating Effects of Drone Warfare on Victims and Whistleblowers
As the Obama administration prepares to hand-off its vast, opaque institutions of surveillance and covert warfare to Donald Trump, many have begun to worry anew about these powers. The new president-elect and his cabinet will have unprecedented power to conduct secret wars and assassinations around the globe, thanks in part to programs bequeathed to him by his liberal predecessor. The aggressive posture that Obama took towards whistleblowers also sets a precedent for Trump to step-up attacks against those inside the government who dare to shed light on such programs.
How US security aid to PA sustains Israel's occupation
US 'security' aid to to both Israel and Palestinian Authority is keeping Palestinians occupied. By providing aid to the security sector of West bank and Gaza has resulted in half Palestinian public sector civil servants to be employed in security. The Palestinian security now restrains mass uprisings by suppressing Palestinians who resist Israel's occupation.
Trump's budget has a radical plan for remaking US foreign policy
The budget won’t pass. But what it says about the president is really, really important. Using the Pentagon’s massive budget as a baseline, 55 billion is a relatively small increase. But it’s paid for, in part, by a relatively huge cut to the State Department. State’s $55 billion budget, $19 billion of which is spent on operations related to American wars, is slashed by 29 percent (leaving it with a total of $39 billion). The operative words for State are fewer and less: fewer diplomats, less development aid, and less support for international organizations like the United Nations.
Trump Taps Salesman To Run Military Draft
Don Benton has a long record of controversies, but no record of military service. Late Monday night, when many Americans were in bed, President Donald Trump quietly announced his intention to nominate former Washington state senator Don Benton (R) to be director of the Selective Service System, which operates the nation’s military draft. This was when the problems first came to light.