A Trillion for War and Pennies for Peace
By Iowa411 Editorial Board
Summary of an article by Freeman & Hartung (Quincy Institute)
This Veterans Day, America once again repeats its annual ritual: waving flags, offering thanks, and reciting the familiar words — “support the troops.” But behind the patriotic imagery lies a jarring contradiction.
The Pentagon’s budget has crossed $1 trillion for the first time in history — yet many of the very veterans we claim to honor are going hungry, homeless, or unseen.
Over half of that massive defense budget flows not to service members or their families, but to private defense contractors. Those corporations funnel billions into executive salaries, stock buybacks, and lobbying efforts – all under the pretense of national security.
Meanwhile, enlisted personnel face food insecurity and underfunded medical and mental health care. An estimated one in four active-duty service members struggle to afford food, even as the government shutdown magnified their hardship.
The disconnect is profound. Thousands of veterans from the post-9/11 wars live with invisible wounds – PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and moral injury from conflicts they came to view as unwinnable. Many question why they were sent to fight in the first place.
As retired Army veteran and historian Gregory Daddis observes, “Endless wars lead to endless veterans who are often left wondering if their efforts mattered.”
We honor our veterans best not with parades or platitudes, but with action – ensuring they and their families have food, housing, medical care, and the dignity they deserve.
We must also break the cycle that creates new generations of forgotten veterans by pursuing diplomacy and restraint instead of endless, profit-driven war. As the Quincy Institute authors warn, “Our budget priorities are moving in the wrong direction.”
If America truly wishes to support the troops, then it’s time to stop subsidizing waste and start investing in peace.
