US Congress Finds Billions for Bombs, Not Your Ramen
When KC Neufeld in Denver decided to hand out ramen and mac-and-cheese for Halloween, the AP framed it as a touching community response to looming SNAP cuts for 'tens of millions of vulnerable Americans.' A noble effort, indeed, just weeks after Congress fast-tracked a supplemental aid package that sent $14.3 billion to Israel (HR 815, passed Nov 2, 2023) and another $60 billion package (HR 8035,
passed April 20, 2024) to Ukraine, with nary a word about a few billion to feed starving kids at home. Funny how quickly Washington can find money when it's for 'allies'—or defense contractors. One might wonder if the lawmakers who find these billions for foreign military adventures, often after receiving substantial donations from groups like AIPAC (OpenSecrets.org shows AIPAC spent $4.7M
lobbying in 2023-2024, endorsing 365 candidates), ever consider that their constituents might, you know, need to eat. Apparently, a child's Halloween basket filled with ramen is a more acceptable public image than a properly funded social safety net. But hey, at least the drones are well-fed, right?