Monday, June 06, 2011

Dear Mr. President,

Why is it that we can find money for war but not peace? Ten years of war in Afghanistan, eight in Iraq, and no end in sight. The "War on Terror" against phantoms grinds on, expands, takes on a life of its own. Not much has changed since your pledge to end unjustified wars and abide by the rule of law. No one’s held accountable–unless you’re a low ranking scapegoat–for the lies that got us into this in the first place or the officially sanctioned torture and renditions, the disregard of human life and human rights and the Constitution. Guantanamo’s still open, the war in Afghanistan's been expanded, drone strikes increased in Pakistan, Yemen and who knows where else, 120 Tomahawk missiles, at a million bucks a pop, launched against Libya … endless war, endless fear, endless destruction. More than a trillion dollars spent on war while we’ve descended into a financial crisis of historic proportions: real unemployment over 15%, pensions, benefits and services cut, homes foreclosed, states broke, cities broke and politicians paralyzed, locked in ideological battles that benefits no one. There’s a correlation here, Mr. President, between the cost of war and the fiscal crisis at home. More than a trillion dollars spent on war in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past 10 years and we’re still spending $13 billion a month to kill, maim and destroy. That’s $427,397,260 a day. $427 million a day! That’s mindboggling. That’s disgusting and I want no part of it. Not in my name, Mr. President. These wars are hideous and unjustified and they’re sapping not only our treasury, but our morality, our sense of right and wrong, our very souls. War corrupts everyone and creates hatred and enmity that will last for generations. I don’t want another one of my tax dollars spent on war. I want my tax dollars spent on schools and healthcare and infrastructure. Let’s stop the war and spend $427 million a day to fix America. Let’s stop being the world’s number one terrorist nation. Let’s find money for peace, not war.