This domestic negligence reflects a deeper national priority: a war economy that reliably funds death and destruction while claiming that sustaining life is unaffordable. Even during the recent government shutdown, the Senate united to approve a $32 billion increase to the Pentagon budget, passing it 77–20. In contrast, extending Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies for a single year — at roughly the same cost — was rejected, despite its potential to keep millions insured.

This pattern repeats annually. Congress routinely passes ever-larger Pentagon budgets, now approaching $1 trillion. The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act is expected to advance easily this month, while a vote to preserve health care subsidies remains uncertain. Only one of these measures is guaranteed to pass without controversy, and it is not the one that saves lives.

The disparity is stark: Continuing Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies costs about $30 billion per year, or $82 million per day. Operating one U.S. aircraft carrier costs about $8 million daily, by some estimates —10% of the nation’s daily health care subsidy cost. One day of funding a single warship could instead fund a day of health care for hundreds of thousands of Americans.

These choices reveal a system that prioritizes war over human life, leaving many — domestically and globally — on the chopping block.

Harold A. Penner

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US has the power to end risk of war (Published Friday, August 16)

The risk of war in the Middle East could end if the United States chose to make it so.

Last November, the Jewish News Syndicate reported that retired Israeli Maj. Gen. Yitzhak Brick said, “All of our missiles, the ammunition, the precision-guided bombs, all the airplanes and bombs, it’s all from the U.S. The minute they turn off the tap, you can’t keep fighting. You have no capability. … Everyone understands that we can’t fight this war without the United States. Period.”

For wars to cease, must U.S. taxpayers “turn off the tap” to military spending?

Apparently so, since LNP | LancasterOnline has published news service articles this month reporting that the United States is sending a guided missile submarine and aircraft carrier to defend Israel and approved $20 billion in new arms sales to Israel, including scores of fighter jets, advanced air-to-air missiles, tank ammunition, high-explosive mortars and tactical vehicles.

What sort of inhumane, potential World War III is the United States igniting?

Let’s consider abandoning war-making, including the current battlefield that is Gaza, and disobeying IRS orders by refusing to pay for the criminal undertaking of militarism. Such conscientious action would be in accordance with Principle IV of the Nuremberg guidelines, which indicate that it is not an acceptable excuse to say, “I was just following my superior’s orders.”

Might our moral choice be one of redirecting our federal tax dollars that underwrite war-making toward endeavors of peacemaking, which support a nuclear-free, ecologically sustainable planet comprised of a community of nations?

Harold A. Penner Akron

(Click the picture to listen to the interview)

From the description on WITF:

Harold, known as H.A., is more than just a name; he represents a symbol of hope amid global turmoil. As a pivotal figure within 1040 for Peace, a prominent organization committed to fostering peace in a world plagued by conflict, Harold stands as a beacon of change. The organization’s mission goes beyond mere rhetoric, actively involving communities in their pursuit of peace through initiatives like public penny polls. Through thought-provoking articles and journals, they articulate their vision for a more humane approach to conflict resolution.

Harold and his team tirelessly advocate for peacekeeping strategies that prioritize human welfare over hostility. Their efforts aim to challenge societal norms and redefine collective values toward a more peaceful coexistence. In a world often overshadowed by violence and discord, Harold’s leadership underscores the importance of conscious activism and grassroots engagement in building a better future. As he continues to champion the cause of peace, Harold embodies the spirit of resilience and optimism, inspiring others to join the movement towards a more harmonious world.

Click here for information on the National Priorities Project referenced in the interview.

A Penny Poll gives passers-by 10 pennies and asks them to distribute them according to the federal budget priorities that they would like to support.  Participants look at the options and think about their choices. They may distribute the 10 pennies however they wish among containers marked with 10 different budget categories.

A penny poll engages a wide range of participants in a public place as an interactive tool for good conversation and learning about current U.S. budget priorities and one’s own values.   It reveals how one would like their tax dollars used compared to how those dollars are actually spent by the federal government. 

Eighty-four passers-by participated in Lancaster Square’s Penny Poll.  They indicated that they would like to have their federal taxes spent as follows:

Agriculture – 7%

Diplomacy – 5

Education – 17

Environment (Green Energy) – 14

Health – 18

Housing – 11

Mass Transit/Roads – 5

Military/Homeland Security – 10

Veterans – 11

Other –2

Total – 100%

It is difficult to compare these Penny Poll votes with the actual federal funds’ expenditures since the national budget is not organized according to the Penny Poll categories. The federal funds budget is made up of discretionary spending that Congress appropriates each year. It does not include dedicated funds such as Social Security and Medicare.  In addition, some areas such as Education receive far more funding through local taxes than through the federal budget.

Nevertheless, there are some interesting comparisons.

While the Penny Poll placed military/homeland security spending at 10%, most budget analysts estimate military spending to be 40%-50% of the federal funds budget. (https://www.nationalpriorities.org and https://www.warresisters.org/catalog/federal-budget-pie-charts) 

Another large discrepancy between Penny Poll voters and the federal budget is in the environment/green energy spending.  Penny Poll voters want 14% of the budget spent in this sector. The actual amount, according to https://www.nationalpriorities.org is 6% (Energy, Environment, and Science).

Penny Poll participants want the federal government to spend 5% of its budget on diplomacy. The actual figure spent on International Affairs, according to https://www.nationalpriorities.org is 3%.

As a citizen of USA I have very ambivalent feelings about today, Thanksgiving Day.  I affirm gratitude and aim to live with a sense that I am fortunate to enjoy the more than adequate supply of food, clothing and shelter which I have.  

But I am at least dimly aware of my USA neighbors who struggle  to survive, and equally pained by the oppression suffered by neighbors around the world.  They are oppressed by imperial powers, and mostly by the imperial power of the USA, with its 800 military bases over the globe.  Bases for what purpose?  To enforce US hegemony and access to the world’s resources in a proportion far beyond anything deserved.  Presumed entitlement is a description far to benign to characterize this reality.

So today when I eat turkey and enjoy family and friends I will also think of our larger human family.  And I will think of this visual depiction of the experience of indigenous peoples in Palestine and North America  https://www.fosna.org/the-fosna-blog/thanksgivingambivalence

It is doubtful, because our subpoenas asked for information which, by past record, they want to hide, and we were not received with open arms.  Lockheed Martin unwelcomed us in their lobby.  Boeing attempted an appearance of welcome with some shiny words,  but never came close to acknowledging the horrors of their global weapons  sales and profits.  Raytheon, in their giant building, offered neither signage nor personnel to acknowledge their presence there, and called police to move us out.  General Atomics refused the subpoena, which our delegation of two who went inside then taped to the door.  

The subpoenas were framed to give voice to the People of the World, calling on weapons manufacturers to reveal their complicity in aiding and abetting the United States government in committing War  Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, Bribery, and Theft.  

The subpoenas ask for information in 23 specific areas.  Three example items follow:

1.  Documents indicating all profits generated from sales of specific military weapons and supplies, year by year, produced by Defendant since September 11, 2001;

2.  Documents demonstrating the number of lobbyists retained by defendant, year by year, since September 11, 2001, and the cost, for the purpose of influencing members of Congress with respect to their decisions on weapons and military supplies sales and regulation and foreign and military policies;

13.  Documents since September 11, 2001, explaining how the corporation leadership can, in good conscience, participate in the construction of nuclear weapons, given the certain knowledge that the use of these weapons will lead not only to gross human death and suppering but the near certainty that their use will lead to the extinction of the human race;

         The United States government is derelict in its duty to citizens of its land and the world for secretive complicity with these weapons manufacturing corporations.  So we took this action to implement just a little more democracy in the American empire.  Moro information on the War Crimes Tribunal (schedule, research plans, etc) can be found at https://merchantsofdeath.org

John K. Stoner

11/12/22