WE MUST ATTACK IGNORANCE AT EVERY TURN

I just responded to someone else's blog post. I can't condemn them outright for their misguidance -- at least they took the time to post their thoughts. So I will assume they were sincere. If not, at least they got off their butt -- metaphorically speaking.

There are so many misconceptions and plain falsehoods that are passed off as truth.

This is why we must continually educate ourselves in the facts about what is going on in the world and then use those facts and our own energy to rebut those misconceptions and falsehoods.

Bit by bit we will break down the propaganda wall that so many have come to believe represents the truth.

And bit by bit, in doing so, we will build a new wall of truth that will keep out the lies and protect our efforts to make this a better world.

THIS IS THE BLOG I READ (Title: US Defense Spending Has Doubled In Past Decade)
(URL: http://digg.com/d31Qdnv)
(It had a chart of "defense" spending for the years 1940 to 2010. The figures allegedly come from government sources -- and they probably do.)

It read:
'Since the September 11, 2001 attacks on US soil, the defense budget has risen steadily year after year. This year, we will spend twice as much as we spent before the attacks. Obviously we needed to step up our spending after the attacks, but the question is, how sustainable is this? Defense Secretary Robert Gates posed a question in a speech this weekend:

“Does the number of warships we have and are building really put America at risk when the U.S. battle fleet is larger than the next 13 navies combined, 11 of which belong to allies and partners? Is it a dire threat that by 2020 the United States will have only 20 times more advanced stealth fighters than China?”

His argument focuses not on cutting spending, but making sure that we are using the money more efficiently. When we spend more money than the rest of the world combined, you would think we could get the job done without steady increases every year. Read more about the speech Gates delivered here and here*.'

*"here" and "here" were hot links to the CNN and New York Times websites respectively. More on those monkeys another time.

THIS WAS MY RESPONSE:
There are no grounds whatsoever for the assertion that "we needed to step up our spending after the attacks [of 9/11]." The U.S. spends far too much on "defense" and has for decades. Stockpiles of nuclear weapons. Invasions of sovereign nations. Contracts for o-rings that cost a fortune, purchased to boost the coffers of corporations that have their hooks in Washington. As you have cited, it is a bloated budget that eclipses all other nations. Money that could go to the poor, infrastructure, education, universal health care... you name it. Improving those things would make this a much safer place to live. Think about it.

And what are we defending against? Where is the invasion? This is OFFENSE spending. And, yes, it is offensive.

Best wishes,
Adrian Zupp

Knocking down the propaganda wall doesn't take a huge intellect. Just common sense and the facts. But the cost of silence is a bleak future for our planet.

Take care,
Adrian Zupp