A stable economic-political world is a sound goal, but at what cost to America?

BY STEVEN KASZAB

12.5 -17% of Americans live below the poverty line. This statistic from the New York Times has remained persistent for decades, fluctuating like the N.Y. Stock Exchange. Many of us ask ourselves why the most powerful nations have such a poverty divide, rich, well-off people and the poor, side by side. One group trying to survive, the other enjoying their financial bonanza: travelling, buying homes, cottages and other prestigious items.

America decided wrongly to become the policeman of the world after the second world war. Doing so placed future citizens, their children and generations of Americans into a financial-political situation that America cannot get itself out of, although it has tried. The decision made the military and weapons industry a massive influential group, absorbing a large part of America’s GNP. Billionaires were made, and employment within this sector grew substantially.

Americans are living in poverty because of two decisions made long ago:

1. America became the world’s policeman; there became a need for and development of the best weapons, which drew trillions of dollars from the nation’s budget, going to a select few and away from the needy in America. America flexed its muscles, manipulated and influenced many of the world’s politically centered organizations like the United Nations and NATO for its own benefit and motives.

Power often corrupts, and being the most powerful nation on the planet is prestigious, emotionally satisfying and financially overpowering.  An element of America’s political and social past haunted the nation, and the second amendment became America’s cause celeb influencing how America saw itself domestically and internationally.

America is still carrying the big stick Teddy Roosevelt once spoke about, but the cost of the stick has increased many hundreds of times, and Americans have to pay the piper with regards to its public expenditures. Debt ceiling aside, America has fallen into the debt trap and many rich and powerful individuals and organizations are bilking the public in the name of national security.

2. America has spent itself into multi trillion-dollar debt while supporting other nations around the globe, some allies and some not. Israel has received billions of dollars each year from America allowing it to build an artificially prosperous nation and a robust military. Egypt, Taiwan and many other nations receive billions of dollars for political and economic returns.

The interests of national security have out weighted the social and financial needs of Americans, all the while the rich get richer, the middle class is on a downward spiral, and the poor go nowhere, stuck in their class state of socio-economic poverty. Isn’t it about time that America cares for Americans and not strangers who should be caring for themselves? America is not a piggy bank after all, where those in peril (and there always are people/nations in peril), can come by and ask for assistance. A stable economic-political world is a sound goal, but at what cost to America?