U.S. Empire a heavy burden for American workers

You can learn a lot about what a country values by reviewing its spending priorities. Here, politicians always find money for the military (nearly $800 billion) and give tax breaks to corporations (many of which are defense contractors and fossil fuel companies) while the rest of us have to beg and scrounge for vital resources to maintain even meager living conditions.

What about funding for public works projects, schools, universal prekindergarten and day care; what about universal paid family leave and paid sick time? For the most part, we regular people scrounge for money and ask family members to help us with child care (this work is mostly done by women and largely goes unpaid). We have to drive on potholed roads and across failing bridges and wait for delayed flights and trains. Our children’s schools are crumbling, and college graduates are left paying staggering debts.

All the while, our leaders hand Ukraine, Taiwan and other U.S. client states more missiles and guns. If you need baby formula or need help with child care or are getting gouged at the gas pump, sorry, there’s little to no help for you. “You’ve got to sacrifice,” our leaders tell us.

The ruling class—business leaders and politicians—don’t make sacrifices. You and I sacrifice a lot when we have to forgo medical treatments to pay for groceries—all while living under the threat of species-ending destruction from great power war and climate breakdown.

It isn’t necessary to live this way. One step forward we can take is getting our priorities in order. For me, I’d rather pay for you and me to see a doctor than give cruise missiles to Taiwan.