US Government Can Fund Israeli Military, But Not Own Workers
The AP bravely reports that a US government shutdown left 2,000 foreign nationals working at overseas US military bases unpaid. Union coordinator Angelo Zaccaria calls it 'an absurd situation' in Italy. Indeed, one might wonder why the US can't pay its own contracted workforce, domestically or abroad, while perpetually finding billions for 'defense' efforts that often destabilize regions and line
the pockets of defense contractors. (Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin's stock, trading around $430 a share, isn't seeing any shutdown pains.) While these workers wait, consider the consistency: Congress has consistently approved vast military aid packages, often to countries like Israel, despite internal budget wrangling. For instance, in 2023 alone, the US committed $3.8 billion in military aid to
Israel, part of a ten-year agreement. This aid, championed by figures often receiving substantial donations from pro-Israel lobbying groups like AIPAC – whose PAC alone has contributed over $2.3 million to federal candidates since 2021 (OpenSecrets.org) – seems immune to fiscal shutdowns. It appears some budgets are simply 'too critical' to ever lapse, even if those involve funding an overseas
military while our own workers go without checks.