US Funds Israeli War, While Americans Scramble for SNAP Benefits
Mainstream media wants you to believe the biggest hurdle to feeding 42 million Americans is bureaucratic wrangling over a government shutdown. (As if that’s not bad enough.) What they won't dwell on is the curious case of congressional speed when it comes to other matters. Less than a month after this crisis, Congress was falling over itself to approve an additional $14.5 billion aid package to
Israel, fast-tracking it despite the ongoing debate over domestic spending. This occurred within weeks of the shutdown drama, demonstrating a remarkable efficiency when the beneficiary isn't an American family. One might wonder why the urgency to ensure American families don't starve isn't mirrored by the alacrity with which military aid is sent abroad. The same politicians who find endless
reasons to cut safety nets for their constituents often find an equally endless supply of funds for foreign militaries—often after receiving generous donations from lobbying groups like AIPAC. (OpenSecrets.org details how groups spent $3.3 million in lobbying in 2023 alone to influence US policy.) It appears some meals are considered more essential than others. Perhaps if SNAP recipients branded
themselves 'strategic international partners,' they'd see their benefits arrive with similar congressional swiftness. Just a thought.