This writer would like to remind you that we spend a lot of money — and waste a lot of money — on things both stupid and maddening. Under the ‘maddening’ category is the $150 billion we spend on illegal immigration every year. And there are slew of stupid things including $50 million for combating cow farts.
But the point is: we have to do something to cut spending. The Economist, who we’ve written about before, has found something we can cut back on. Except it’s the most insulting option imaginable:
Reducing payments to former soldiers will never be popular, but it would be wise: https://t.co/9Yo9kgREJC
Photo: Getty Images pic.twitter.com/qBkxZf7FR9
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) November 29, 2024
Seriously?
SERIOUSLY?!
Veterans are where they decide to make cuts?
No. Just no.
Mr Musk is zeroing in on discretionary spending, which includes programmes such as the department’s medical services. But the main driver of its spending surge is mandatory outlays for disability compensation. Between 2000 and 2024, such payments ballooned from $26bn, in today’s prices, to $159bn. Last year alone saw a 17% jump. And the department’s latest budget request forecasts that compensation will soar to $185bn over the next two years.
The current system was introduced during the first world war. It provides tax-free monthly payments to soldiers who are injured or sick owing to their service. From 1960 to 2000, roughly 9% of veterans qualified for payments, typically for ailments such as hearing loss or burns. The department assigns a rating from zero to 100% based on the severity of disabilities. In 2000 the average rating was 30%; monthly payments averaged the equivalent of $975 today. Few qualified for the top tier.
The men and women who served this nation — many at great personal cost, both physically and emotionally — are the ones The Economist thinks aren’t deserving of benefits is galling.
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We sent a lot of them to Iraq and Afghanistan over the last 24 years and now some nerd at this rag decided they shouldn’t get money for that.
The good news is, everyone hated this.
“The plan? We cut the benefits we promised the guys who are well practiced in violence and already hate us” pic.twitter.com/T4xwSZkGdp
— Mostly Peaceful Memes (@MostlyPeacefull) November 30, 2024
They’re not very bright, are they?
This isn’t going to go how you wanted it to.
— Donut Operator 🍩 (@DonutOperator) November 30, 2024
Nope. And they deserve it.
Don’t send young men to retarded wars and you won’t have to pay for ruining their brains ya dumb s**t
— BIPOC Doing Racism (@BIPOCracism) November 30, 2024
No lies detected.
And it gets even better. Guess who was all in on the Iraq War back in 2003?
Old enough to remember when The Economist argued in favor of sending those same veterans to war. pic.twitter.com/30GKINEhbP
— Task & Purpose (@TaskandPurpose) November 30, 2024
Wow.
Just wow.
How curious, the author’s name not published anywhere on the article. Curious indeed.
— S2 Underground (@s2_underground) November 30, 2024
Not surprising at all.
For your friends: everything
For your enemies: nothing— Napoleon Bonaparte Appreciator (@NapoleonBonabot) November 30, 2024
YUP.
Always adorable when the left pretends to care about spending.
— Small Gov Lizard (@smallgovlizard) November 30, 2024
Always adorbs.
Instead lets do away with Congressional pensions and let them sign up for Obama Care when they retire instead of their congressional plans.
— Opus (@Opus_Rexx) November 30, 2024
Much better idea.
I get zero benefits from my military service. But for those who do, it’s a promise that’s being kept. The veterans can’t take back the service they gave. It’s evil to try to take away the country’s end of the deal. https://t.co/xGAaXXIahg
— Arie Friedman (@ArieFriedman) November 30, 2024
Pure evil.
“Absurdly generous” https://t.co/8i59tNMN3c
— Fusilli Spock (@awstar11) November 30, 2024
What’s the fair price for getting your leg blown off by an IED, we wonder?
JHC, they are literally pointing to disability benefits.
The words I’d use in response to this would get me banned from this place. https://t.co/4J9PDaaYRx
— NiedermeyersDeadHorse aka NDH (@NiedsG) November 30, 2024
They’d deserve them.
Or we could start by no longer funding left-wing organizations doing LGBTQ empowerment for illegal aliens https://t.co/CHWtj8nrB8
— Sunny (@sunnyright) November 30, 2024
That’s where we start.
Infinite money for immigrants no money for veterans https://t.co/bWIpsBSPKe
— Auron MacIntyre (@AuronMacintyre) November 30, 2024
Or hurricane victims.
Noticing a pattern here.
