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Hello America

By Harold Trainer

Hello, America, how are you? Well, I hope. And while you're doing well and doing the things you like to do, please look back over the last ten years. Can you see that our government has put us in two wars at a cost of $4,000,000,000,000 and the lives of more than 6,200 of our military? There also have been more than 40,000 wounded. Please notice that these wars have also killed more than a hundred thousand Arabs and Muslims and that the money required to conduct this carnage was all borrowed and has helped increase our national debt from around 8 trillion dollars to more than 14 trillion dollars. Your kids and grand kids, of course, will pay it back. Most Americans will not share in the sacrifice as there is no draft or tax increase.

During these years our government gave tax cuts to many Americans, including some of you, and certainly to the very wealthy. Our elected officials mismanaged our economy beyond normal risk and we had to bail out the banks and investment companies and the insurance and automobile companies with borrowed money. All of this while average Americans faced unemployment, lower wages, foreclosure, and many, many other financial challenges. And the wars continue.

And now our government, Republicans and Democrats alike, wants us to reduce this huge debt, including the war debt, and are asking average Americans and even some of our most vulnerable citizens, seniors and disabled to pay for the wars, the mismanagement of our economy, and the tax cuts. This is to be done by cutting spending on some of our most important programs like education, health care, infrastructure, and even social programs for the elderly and needy. Congress is proposing to divide the older and younger generations health care coverage into different programs leaving a more generous health care system for older people while younger people have to live with a much more expensive system. This includes some of our brave young military men and women who have fought these wars. This divide and conquer tactic can only result in generational bickering and less quality health care for everyone. Unbelievably, there is also discussion on increasing military health care costs in order to help pay for the wars, continue weapons development, support war and defense contractors and pay down the national debt.

All of this will be done to reduce the national debt incurred by unnecessary wars, huge tax cuts, economic mismanagement, and plain old greed. Of course, the wars are still being waged at a cost of around 250 billion dollars a year and Obama has "compromised" with Republicans to extend tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while Congress works night and day to make average Americans and the most vulnerable pay for these excesses. He has put Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and military health care on the table for cuts.

Please folks, while you do the things you like to do also take action and let your elected representatives know your views regarding the government's unacceptable management of our nation's affairs during the last ten years of war. Also, make it a point to ask about our government's plans and policies for the future; your future, your kids' futures, and your grandkids' futures.

Harold Trainer is a retired US Air Force Officer and Vietnam Veteran. He lives in Prospect, Kentucky with his wife Carol Rawert Trainer, also a USAF veteran.