Governments do not create jobs, regardless of where they spend the money they steal. For every job “created” there is a corresponding lost job from the money stolen that could have been used for someone’s salary. From William Hartung at responsiblestatecraft.org:
Biden shifted gears and is now leaning into the false notion that money to these countries would yield economic benefits for us.
The conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza are different in kind and require different approaches. But debating the purpose and impact of U.S. arms supplies to Ukraine and Israel could not be more urgent. This is especially true in the case of Israel, given the immense human devastation its attack on Gaza is causing and the real danger of a wider Mideast war.
Yet the Biden administration is striking a common theme in its efforts to persuade Congress to pass a $100 billion-plus emergency package that consists largely of military aid and arms transfers to Ukraine and Israel, as well as Taiwan: U.S. weapons supplies to war zones and regions of tension support U.S. jobs.
President Biden kicked off this line of thinking in his Oval Office speech in which he announced the new emergency aid proposal, referring to the U.S. arms industry as the “arsenal of democracy” and making a not-too-subtle pitch for the economic benefits of U.S. military aid:
“We send Ukraine equipment sitting in our stockpiles. And when we use the money allocated by Congress, we use it to replenish our own stores, our own stockpiles, with new equipment. Equipment that defends America and is made in America. Patriot missiles for air defense batteries, made in Arizona. Artillery shells manufactured in 12 states across the country, in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas. And so much more.”
As if that were not enough, Politico has reported that administration officials are now circulating talking points in Congress that argue that providing military aid is “good for American jobs.”
Great article highlighting the urgent need to debate the impact of U.S. arms supplies to Ukraine and Israel. It’s important to consider the human devastation caused and the potential for wider conflict.