SNAP Benefits Cut, Pentagon Budget Swells, Celebrity Has Opinions
Newsweek highlighted reality TV personality Bronwyn Newport's criticism of the Trump administration's cuts to SNAP. While a celebrity's opinion is certainly news-worthy, what went unmentioned was the consistent, bipartisan willingness to slash social safety nets while the Pentagon's budget continued its relentless ascent. In 2018, the year this article was published, the US military budget was
hiked to a then-record $700 billion, dwarfing the miniscule ~$60-$70 billion spent on food assistance programs by orders of magnitude. The 'tough choices' always seem to land on the vulnerable. It's a curious framing: a reality star's take on welfare cuts makes headlines, but the systemic defunding of crucial domestic programs to fuel an ever-expanding military industrial complex? That's just
business as usual. One might wonder if the headlines would change if a 'Real Housewife' slammed the $700 billion allocated to defense instead of meager food aid. (Spoiler: They wouldn't).