Congress just can’t get any more irrelevant. Once again both parties, despite having absolutely nothing to agree upon when it comes to getting things done that the American people need done, have found something to agree upon by coming together to spend nearly a half-billion dollars in taxpayer money to build improved versions of the 70-ton Abrams tank.
And even though recently sequestered programs that serve real people are in dire need of refunding, Congress has decided to once again make a bipartisan effort to spend an extra $436 million on a weapon that their experts…namely the military… say is not needed.
The Sponsors of the bill to fund the tanks, who are also two of Congress’ most vocal advocates for cutting the federal budget, say that their support for what seems like obviously unnecessary spending is all about national security, even though the military says it’s not!
But actually the spending is all about General Dynamics, a major defense contractor that produces the tanks for the military and spent close to $11 million last year on lobbying…Congress of course…and they most probably use some of that money they get for producing the unneeded tanks on their lobbying for more…
And even though the Army would rather take a pause in their tank production so that they could spend the money on research-and-development work for a new and improved model…they of course need Congress’…and General Dynamics…permission first.
And to top it all off the Defense Department has to spend around $115 billion over the next half decade just to keep tanks in tip-top condition by keeping them clean and rust-proof while in storage, otherwise they may fall apart while left locked up….because…they don’t need any more tanks!
How about this for an all around solution to our defense spending, gun control and 2nd amendment problems? Take the 4500 unused tanks that are already in storage and trade them to the NRA for a few thousand guns apiece.
That way we get rid of the tanks, round up the guns and give American militiamen, when the time finally does come for taking on the federal government, something that they can really defend their rights with…tank you very much.
