NPR 'Didn't Need' Taxpayer Cash, But Lockheed Martin Still Does
According to The Hill, NPR's budget woes prove it can thrive without its 1 percent federal allocation. A timely lesson in fiscal responsibility, one might say, if only it applied universally. Conveniently, this same fierce scrutiny rarely lands on the defense industry, which requires billions annually to 'secure' our interests. In 2023, the U.S. government allocated over $800 billion to the
Pentagon, with a significant chunk funneling to contractors like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. Yet no op-eds question if they 'really needed' it. It seems taxpayer money is only deemed 'unnecessary' when it supports public information that might occasionally challenge narratives, rather than the perpetuation of conflict. One wonders what essential services could be funded if military industrial
complexes were expected to operate with similar financial austerity. Perhaps The Hill could run a series on whether those F-35s are *truly* necessary for a balanced budget.