Perpetual war spending rockets northward; Life enhancing spending droops south

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is a misnomer.

It would be more fitting to call it the National Perpetual War Authorization Act (NPWAA). The 62nd version is taking shape in Congress and guess what? Like the Fifth Dimension song, it’s going ‘Up, Up and Away’, but not in a beautiful balloon, more like an F-35 or killer drone.

The 2022 NPWAA was a gargantuan $778 billion. President Biden asked for a whopping $35 billion increase for fiscal 2023. That wasn’t good enough for Congress. The House and Senate are fighting over who can add more squandered treasure to the ’23 Perpetual War budget. So far the Senate is ahead, adding $45 billion versus the House’s measly $38 billion over Biden’s proposed increase. At $851 billion and $858 billion respectively, the two branches will likely settle for at least $854 billion.

How does that compare, for example, to combatting climate change instead of combatting the hapless countries our country is destroying with bombs and sanctions? Our total budget in controlling a real, imminent existential threat to our survival is just $45 billion, about just 60% of the likely Perpetual War budget increase of $76 billion.

A lot of Americans are getting wealthy and powerful from our obscene, grotesque military spending. Will they consider it worth it when their kids and grandkids inherit a war ravaged, unlivable planet?