Response to Local Columnist: Military vs. Social Spending

The Following Question was posed in a recent e-mail:

"Why are the Republicans dedicated to cutting social programs in the name of fiscal responsibility while ignoring nearly $2 billion a day in military spending. Maybe you all can explain what all this spending has gotten us? Let me know."

The Response:

I think ALL spending should be on the chopping block, not just discretionary spending and entitlement programs!

The United States must give up on pretending to be Policeman of the World.

Let's protect ourselves, our own interests, and our own people.

Get the US out of Afghanistan! Get us out of Libya! Get us out of German and Korea!

I would only qualify our exit from Iraq. We instigated a conflict which previous foreign policy did not adequately plan for, although I am glad that Saddam Hussein is not in power, and the WikiLeak cables have confirmed that Hussein did have weapons of mass destruction.

As far as foreign policy is concerned, the United States needs to rely more on soft power. Ronald Reagan helped bring down the Soviet Union without firing a shot and withdrew American Troops from certain failure in Lebanon. As soon as Reagan was elected President in 1980, the Iranian Mullahs released the hostages. He projected power and confidence, unlike the milquetoast Jimmy Carter.

In addition to relinquishing the role of Policeman to the World, however, the United States must also stop playing Nursemaid of the American People. This aggrandized role is draining the life out of our economy more than pork barrel projects and military spending. Social Security is an immoral entitlement, an elaborate Ponzi scheme robbing the working man to pay for the retired, with only an empty, unfunded promise to finance future retirees. Medicaire and Medicaid are vastly unfunded, due in large part to the rampant fraud corrupting the system. And then there's Obamacare, a government mandate which will frustrate markets, drive up health care costs, and limit access to quality health care.

For the first one hundred years of the Republic, Americans earned their keep, saved their money, and took care of themselves. Since when did the Government get the foolish notion that it was their job to take a taxpayer's money and rescue the down and out with social programs that do not promote liberty, equality, or even financial stability?

You question the value of exorbitant military spending. In addition to military expenditures, I denounce the rapacious entitlements masquerading as "social programs" which are not promoting the General Welfare of this country.

Read the Preamble to the United States Constitution. In order to form a more perfect union, the United States Government must not arrogate to itself the right to extensive invasions into our daily lives. A government that tries to be all things for all people will do nothing well, and will bankrupt the nation in the process. That is hardly promoting the general welfare or securing the blessings of liberty to ourselves or to our posterity as intended by the Framers of the Constitution.