ACTION ALERT: Honor Eisenhower’s
Warning — and CUT Pentagon Spending!
Shahed Ghoreishi / Win Without War >
(January 18, 2023) — It’s the 62nd anniversary of Pres. Eisenhower’s warning against the “military industrial complex.” Now marks an urgent moment to act.
Right now, we’re hearing calls to CUT government spending, but too many in Congress think social programs should face the ax, NOT hundreds of billions for weapons and war.
We cannot accept this as our fate. Let’s break this cycle and redirect resources towards programs that truly benefit ALL people. Read Annika’s message below and send a powerful message to support peace and people over war and profit.
You Can’t Say We Weren’t Warned
Annika / Win Without War
62 years ago today, in his historic farewell address, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned Congress of the unchecked growth of the arms industry in creating a never-ending “military industrial complex” that would undermine the very foundations of our democracy:
“Our toil, resources, and livelihood are all involved.
So is the very structure of our society.
The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”
Decades later, we all know what’s happened: The Pentagon budget has grown at an astronomically unsustainable rate year after year, with no end in sight. Last year, Congress increased Pentagon spending by 8 percent — more than $40 BILLION above the president’s request — bringing our total budget for weapons and war to $858 BILLION.
But it’s a new Congress, and that means the game could change. Right now, we’re hearing renewed calls to CUT government spending. That means we could push to decrease the Pentagon budget NOW. The catch? Republicans want cuts to critically needed social programs too — we’ve got to send a loud and clear message to demand better before they double down on this broken status quo.
It’s beyond time for Congress to prioritize the needs of the people. That looks like investing in programs that will truly make the country stronger and more equitable, while cutting the bloated Pentagon budget. And activists like us will lead the way.
2023 could be the year we flip the script, because our power is GROWING. Last summer, 151 Representatives voted to lop $37 BILLION off the Pentagon budget. This much pushback on the war machine would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, and it’s an unmistakable mile marker that the era of unchecked Pentagon spending is coming to an END.
Right now, the Pentagon budget consumes an enormous portion of our resources,
You get what you pay for, and our country’s misprioritization of weapons and war over people’s needs means that we’re constantly investing in conflict and violence, NOT human security.
But what if our money was instead spent on programs and initiatives that will benefit ALL people: healthcare, infrastructure, education, peacebuilding, and diplomacy? It’s a future we can build together, and right now, the first step is to let every member of Congress — new AND old — know that we’re not letting up our calls to CUT the Pentagon budget for one second.
ACTION: Add your name now to call on Congress: Cut the Pentagon budget, NOT funding for social programs.
Every time we put pressure on members of Congress, we remind them that we’re paying attention and increase the political space for them to put people’s needs over weapons contractors’ profits. Taking action today brings us one step closer to our communities having the resources they need to thrive. Can we count on you to take action in 2023?
Thank you for working for peace,
Annika, Eric, Shahed, and the Win Without War team
