Things That Just Piss Me Off

It irritates the hell out of me the way politicians, no not just George Bush, all politicians, lie to us about where the money goes. They like to say “it’s for the children”, “it’s for education”, “it’s for keeping you safe”, etc. etc.

The lottery in most states will serve as a great example. They say it will help fund education to get everyone to vote for it. In most states it makes up less than 2% of the cost of education while taking in billions for whatever they want to spend it on. They didn’t tell you that when they wanted you to vote for it.

Bush’s war on terrorism, (I call it his war on terrorism because most would have handled it much differently), is another great example.

They passed billions of dollars into the war on terrorism. Some of that went to “border security”. No terrorists have been caught at the border trying to enter the country. But they have been able to increase the number of drugs siezed at the border. Yes, that is also a good thing. However, they knew that the public was growing tired of the so-called war on drugs that has been a waste of time and money, so rather than ask the public for more money for the war on drugs, they asked for funds for the war on terrorism and used it for the war on drugs instead.

And now they misuse more funds meant for the war on terrorism.

Plan Would Use Antiterror Aid on Pakistani Jets
By ERIC SCHMITT of the NYTimes

The Bush administration plans to shift nearly $230 million in aid to Pakistan from counterterrorism programs to upgrading that country’s aging F-16 attack planes, which Pakistan prizes more for their contribution to its military rivalry with India than for fighting insurgents along its Afghan border.

The financing for the F-16s would represent more than two-thirds of the $300 million that Pakistan will receive this year in American military financing for equipment and training.

Last year, Congress specified that those funds be used for law enforcement or counterterrorism. Officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because Congress was weighing the plan, said the timing was driven by deadlines of the American contractor, Lockheed Martin.

So to help out Lockheed Martin, 75% of the money we are to give to Pakistan specifically for the war on terror will go to upgrading their military instead so they can keep up with their rival, India.

Having the United States pay for the upgrades instead of Pakistan would also free up cash that Pakistan’s government could use to help offset rising fuel and food costs, which have contributed to an economic crisis there, the State Department officials said.

Yes, great idea, let’s use the money to help Pakistan out of their economic crisis since we don’t have one.

Under the original plan sent to Congress in April, the administration intended to use up to $226.5 million of the aid to refurbish two of Pakistan’s P-3 maritime patrol planes, buy it new airfield navigation aids and overhaul its troubled fleet of Cobra attack helicopters. The State Department notified Congress last week that the administration had changed its mind and would apply the funds to the F-16s.

They don’t use the F-16s in the war on terror at all. They do use the other stuff for fighting terrorists. So we are going to fund the F-16s with the money intended for the war on terror.

Stumble it!