US 'Counter-Terror' Airstrikes Rattle Nigerian Villages and US Taxpayers
ABC News reports Nigerian villagers were 'rattled' by US airstrikes, their homes shaking and skies glowing red. The Pentagon, of course, confirms the strikes targeted 'terrorist' groups. What goes unsaid is the perpetual cycle of US military presence in Africa—operations like Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership and Flintlock —that have coincided with, rather than curtailed, regional
instability. Remember, the 'war on terror' is a highly profitable, self-perpetuating enterprise, generously funded by American taxpayers. While villagers pick up the pieces, one might ask how much of the $886 billion 2024 defense budget (per the National Defense Authorization Act) went to these 'stabilization' efforts. Perhaps a fraction. Meanwhile, vital domestic programs face cuts, ensuring
Americans live rattled by declining public services, while overseas, others are rattled by literal bombs. A true global superpower; we export both our bombs and our budget priorities.