US Transport Chief Warns Delays, While Ignoring War Funds' Speed
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, according to Bloomberg, is very concerned about looming flight delays caused by a government shutdown affecting air-traffic controller staffing. An understandable concern for holiday travelers, surely. What Bloomberg and Secretary Duffy conveniently ignore is how such 'shutdowns' never seem to impact the flow of billions in military aid—or, as OpenSecrets data
for 2023 shows, the hundreds of thousands of dollars funneled from lobbying groups like AIPAC to congressional pockets. One might wonder if the 'air-traffic controller staffing crunch' would be less severe if the nation's priorities weren't perpetually skewed towards endless defense spending. While everyday Americans face stalled flights and underpaid public servants, our elected officials manage
to keep the war machine humming, often after receiving generous 'donations.' How many essential domestic services could $14 billion (the amount of supplemental aid to Israel approved by Congress, bill HR 815) fund, instead of prolonging already dire situations abroad?