Why War is all the Rage
by Christine Ahn and Gwyn Kirk

"Militarization is a sneaky sort of transformative process," writes Clark University professor Cynthia Enloe. "Sometimes it is only in the pursuit of de- militarization that we become aware of just how far down the road of complete militarization we've gone. In fact, since (the attacks of) Sept. 11, publicly criticizing militarization has been widely viewed as an act of disloyalty."

The militarization of U.S. society has grave implications. Many voters and our elected representatives hardly bat an eye over the fact that half the federal discretionary budget funds the military. This will be $438 billion in 2006 -- excluding the costs of action in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the National Priorities Project, the average San Francisco household, for instance, paid $13,139 in federal income tax in 2004, of which $5,097 funded the military (including interest on its debt), $2,664 for health care, $482 for education, and $52 for job training.

On this Memorial Day weekend, it is vital that we open our eyes to these realities. We are engaged in a senseless, dreadful war. Far too many American and Iraqi lives have been lost. We must urge our elected officials to replace the war budget with a people's budget that invests in making this nation healthier, better educated and genuinely secure. We must believe in and contribute to a global community based on international law, diplomacy and human rights.


Full story here.