I've been a fan of Boston sportswriter Charles P. Pierce since his star turn on the incredible Bid/Magic HBO doc, so of course I listen to his thoughts on politics, and he's spot-on with the ridiculousness of how we wring our hands at spending on people back here at home, but launch zillions of dollars via t-shirt guns if the Pentagon decreeth:
I’m starting to doubt the sincerity of politicians who talk about how we can’t afford programs that help people, or who worry themselves silly over The Deficit, or who furrow their brows and stroke their chins out of deep concern over the “entitlement culture.” (Hi, Joe Manchin!) Meanwhile, they’re simply winking at the waste, fraud, and abuse emanating from the entitlement culture across the river at the Pentagon.
The he delivers the kicker:
What we tolerate instead of paying to help ourselves will always be amazing.
Knowing Pierce, it's meant to be read with a twinge of sarcasm. But to me, it's a fucking tragedy. History will one day look back at America and scratch their heads at our demanding that our leaders insist on not taking care of their own citizens. We have been trained to believe that cruelty is a solution. We have the means to stop people living in abject poverty, we have the means to stop thousands of people needlessly dying every day, but we don't because...wait, why?
No comments:
Post a Comment