Against Crony Capitalism – by Nick Sorrentino
One of the biggest failings of conservatives over the years, and especially since the end of the Cold War, has been the failure to understand that the military is big government too. It is full of waste, and much larger than it should be.
Some will always argue that “defense” is specifically enumerated in the Constitution and therefore a legitimate expenditure. It is a legitimate expenditure.
But it is “defense” which is enumerated. Policing all of the world’s sea lanes was not envisioned by our founders. Nor was maintaining an archipelago of bases in every corner of the world. This is hugely expensive and a drain on our economy back home.
(From The Daily Caller)
The military recently spent $34 million on a construction project in Afghanistan. The money was spent building a headquarters for planning U.S. military operations. Unfortunately, the structure is unoccupied and will most likely never be used. It will either be demolished or handed over to the Afghans.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State received $3.5 million from the Department of Defense to purchase land around the base to protect gophers that inhabit the area. The DOD also gave Eglin Air Force Base in Florida $1.75 million to save a tortoise habitat.*
*For the record I am a big fan of tortoises.
http://www.againstcronycapitalism.org/2013/07/the-pentagon-is-spending-taxpayer-dollars-on-what/
Wherever there’s a National Park or Forest, you can bet there is an underground base underneath it. So don’t think for one second that the DOD’s money is going to help the environment because it most certainly is not.