USA: Neglecting citizens in favor of hard power

Early in his presidency, Dwight Eisenhower spoke out against increased military spending with the words, “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” Yet, over time, increased military spending and the “military-industrial complex” — which Eisenhower also warned against — have become realities.

There is a saying that “When your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” Today, the US has the world’s most powerful hammer. While previous administrations also tried to build “soft power” through foreign aid programs, the current administration has significantly cut those programs, along with social programs at home, while greatly increasing ICE funding, adding another “hammer” to the toolbox.

This administration wields power in ways that do not seem to “promote the general Welfare” of Americans, as the preamble to our Constitution requires. The incursion into Venezuela, the terrorizing of US cities by ICE, and threats against our own allies suggest that the US, under this administration, has become the world’s bully.

Meanwhile, there are “those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed,” and those who are sick and are not healed. It doesn’t have to be this way. However, the wealthy might need to pay more in taxes, and our lawmakers follow the will of the people, not that of one individual.

ERNEST WARNER
Coeur d’Alene