Our greatest national security threat isn’t covered by the military spending bill
It’s climate change.
In December, President Biden signed a $770 billion military spending bill, $24 billion more than he had requested. The bill sailed through Congress with bipartisan support in a way that almost nothing else does. The spending bill pays for everything the military does—from small pay raises to maintaining military bases on multiple continents. What it does not represent is any kind of departure from the usual congressional rubber stamp for military spending. It should.
This bill comes on the heels of our withdrawal from Afghanistan, in which we proved that no amount of military might, superior prowess, and spending can win an unwinnable war. The shortcomings, mistakes, and outright failings that constituted the $6.4 trillion war were well documented by the military itself in detailed reports.
These reports have been summarily ignored in this spending bill, which acts as though nothing is amiss for the US military. But this should be a moment of critical reckoning.
