Warfare, Welfare, and Wonder Woman: How Congress Spends Your Money

[Draggingtree]

Ludwig von Mises Institute :

Warfare, Welfare, and Wonder Woman: How Congress Spends Your Money

 

Mises Daily: Tuesday, January 21, 2014 by Ron Paul

Supporters of warfare, welfare, and Wonder Woman cheered last week as Congress passed a one trillion dollar “omnibus” appropriation bill. This legislation funds the operations of government for the remainder of the fiscal year. Wonder Woman fans can cheer that buried in the bill was a $10,000 grant for a theater program to explore the comic book heroine.

 

That is just one of the many outrageous projects buried in this 1,582-page bill. The legislation gives the Department of Education more money to continue nationalizing education via “common core.” Also, despite new evidence of Obamacare’s failure emerging on an almost daily basis, the Omnibus bill does nothing to roll back this disastrous law.

Even though the Omnibus bill dramatically increases government spending, it passed with the support of many self-described “fiscal conservatives.” Those wondering why anyone who opposes increasing spending on programs like common core and Obamacare would vote for the bill, may find an answer in the fact that the legislation increases funding for the “Overseas Continuing Operations” — which is the official name for the war budget — for the first time since 2010. This $85 billion war budget contains $6 billion earmarked for projects benefiting Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, and other big defense contractors.

 

Ever since “sequestration” went into effect at the beginning of last year, the military-industrial complex’s congressional cheering session has

[Draggingtree]

Time to Change. Time to Choose.

 

By: Erick Erickson (Diary) | February 3rd, 2014 at 04:30 AM

 

When the White House and Congress of the United States of America were controlled by Republicans, the nation found itself at war. It was a war not asked for by America, but one we were dragged into by terrorists who wished us dead. Some tried to blame America. Some claimed it was because of the cycle of poverty and violence our enemies suffered. They ignored facts. But George W. Bush kept us safe. His foreign policy was not perfect, but far better than the present blundering of Barack Obama.

 

Unfortunately, while George W. Bush focused on keeping us safe, his party waged war on thrift and small government domestically. Hiding behind war spending, the Republicans in Congress, with the President’s blessing, destroyed any sense of reasonableness to the size and scope of the federal government. They passed Medicare Part D, expanding entitlements. They passed No Child Left Behind, expanding the federal government’s incursion into state run public schools and setting the stage for Common Core. When the GOP, finally fat and corrupt with members of Congress being carted off to jail, was removed from control of Congress, the GOP continued. They helped pass TARP. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell called it one of the finest days ever in the history of the Senate. They passed the General Motors bail out.

 

When President Bush left office and Barack Obama came in, the GOP faltered. They, once back in control of the House, refused to do everything they said they would do to kill Obamacare. http://www.redstate.com/2014/02/03/time-to-change-time-to-choose/