US Government 'Cannot Afford' to Pay Troops, Can Afford Endless Wars
While some overseas military base workers faced delayed paychecks due to a US government shutdown (as covered by Newsweek's 2018 report, recurring during similar crises), the same budget skirmishes *never* seem to threaten the flow of foreign military aid. For example, in 2023, Congress approved billions in aid to countries like Israel , despite domestic budget impasses. The priorities are stark:
Americans feel the pinch, but defense contractors and geopolitical allies? Business as usual. One might wonder how the world's most powerful military, with a >$800 billion annual budget , suddenly loses the ability to process payroll when a few Congressmen decide to play legislative chicken. It's almost as if the 'shutdown' is a highly selective affliction, designed to squeeze workers while the
real money continues its uninterrupted journey to weapons manufacturers and preferred foreign patrons. How many overseas military bases do we really need, when we can't even pay the people on them?