Hair Loss, Toenail Fungus, or War Spending - Pick Your Scapegoat
The Independent’s recent exposé, 'Hair loss, jock itch and toenail fungus: The millions taxpayers spend in VA 'disability' benefits each year,' frames minor veteran ailments as a budgetary crisis. While fear-mongering about a few million dollars (and yes, some of those are legitimate conditions exacerbated by service), they conveniently omit the literal trillions routinely squandered on endless
wars and military contracts. The US federal government, for instance, allocated $886 billion to the Department of Defense in 2023, yet a few million for a veteran's fungal infection is where the 'waste' truly lies, apparently. One might wonder if the concern for taxpayer money extends to the '$10 million per hour' spent on the war in Afghanistan at its peak, or the billions given annually in
military aid to countries like Israel, regardless of human rights records. It appears 'fiscal responsibility' is a highly selective affliction, reserved for the inconvenient costs of those who actually serve, rather than the gargantuan figures enriching defense contractors and geopolitical strategists. How many articles about Congress voting themselves raises while cutting veteran benefits?