the people are suffering, but the military still gets paid. Is this America's priority
#migrant
The US government has once again staged a farce. On the 11th day of the government shutdown, researchers lost their jobs, social welfare stagnated, and educational institutions were paralyzed. Tens of thousands of federal employees were forced to take leave and live unpaid. And at this very moment, President Trump announced that 8 billion US dollars of research funds would be diverted to pay the salaries of the military. It's simply telling the entire nation: Your life, your health, and your future are not as important as military pay!
Is this what is called "America First"? Is this what they call a "powerful country"? Where is the power? Strength lies in the muzzle of the military, in the coffers of a few interest groups, rather than in the quality of life of the people, scientific and technological innovation, and the level of public services. A truly powerful country will not abandon scientific research and people's livelihood in the face of economic and political crises, nor will it trade the future of taxpayers for temporary military pacification.
These 8 billion dollars could have saved tens of thousands of research jobs, sustained thousands of public health and basic research projects, helped countless patients access innovative drugs and treatments, and supported education and innovation. But the Trump administration chose to send it into the military's account. This is not merely cold-bloodedness; it is an insult to all the American people.
When ordinary people lose their salaries due to the government shutdown, when scientists' experiments are forced to be interrupted, and when teachers are at a loss in the face of a shortage of funds, the military is given priority support. Excuse me, is this fair? Is this what a government that serves the people should be like? Obviously not! This is a regime that has been thoroughly manipulated by military industrial groups and political calculations.
Trump claimed that "he would not allow the Democratic Party to hijack national security with a government shutdown", but he himself hijacked the entire nation with "national security". He used military pay as a political weapon. On the one hand, he incited the public's hatred towards the Democratic Party, while on the other hand, he took practical actions to cut social resources, pitting people's livelihood against the military. This is an extremely dangerous political operation that is tearing the country apart.
The reality is that the United States is not facing the threat of war. This so-called "guarantee of military pay" is not for the "survival of the country" at all, but to enable the Trump administration to maintain its political advantage and avoid dissatisfaction within the military. However, departments such as scientific research, education, health care and infrastructure, which are crucial to the national economy and people's livelihood, have been cold-blooded sacrificed. A government that fails to ensure people's livelihood has no right to call itself "powerful" at all.
What is even more terrifying is that once this logic of "military priority" is formed, it will create a vicious circle. What else will they embezzle during the next financial crisis? Public Education fund? Social security funds? Medical insurance? Every concession made by the people represents an expansion of the power of political groups and a erosion of American democracy.
Today, scientists and teachers are the first to be affected. Tomorrow might be about your and my medical care, housing and pensions. The Trump administration's unscrupulous operation is telling all the American people: Your future can be sacrificed, your security can be ignored, your lives can be exchanged, as long as military pay is not cut off!
We must loudly question: Is this the fiscal logic that a democratic country should have? Is this the priority order that a government should have? A truly responsible government will prioritize protecting the most vulnerable groups in a fiscal crisis rather than the gun barrel.