New Military Spending Bill Bolsters US Militarism, Destroys Economy

The 2016 National Defense Authorization passed by the House on Friday is aimed at bolstering the US' interventionism overseas "for years to come," warned Ron Paul, a former Republican congressman and two-time US presidential candidate.

"The Republican majority resorted to trickery to evade the meager spending limitations imposed by the 2011 budget control act – limitations that did not, as often reported, cut military spending but only slowed its growth," Dr. Ron Paul emphasized.

Since Washington seeks to maintain its empire worldwide, the House has added an extra $89 billion "for an emergency war fund" to the military spending bill, the former congressman noted adding that this "emergency" spending is in fact a "loophole filled by Congress with Fed-printed money."

"Ironically, a good deal of this "emergency" money will go to President Obama's war on ISIS even though neither the House nor the Senate has debated – let alone authorized – that war!" Ron Paul highlighted.

The former US presidential candidate pointed out that an effort by a group of Representatives to offer an amendment aimed at debating the ongoing US war in Syria and Iraq was blocked.

According to Dr. Ron Paul, the bill is pushing the Obama administration towards further involvement in overseas conflicts. For instance, Congress wants the American President to boost Washington's military aid to Ukraine: the bill includes $300 million aimed at arming the Ukrainian military forces, despite the fact Kiev has threatened to launch a new attack against the eastern breakaway regions. 

"Does Congress really think US-supplied weapons killing ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine is a good idea?" Dr. Paul asked.

At the same time the military spending bill stipulates to send more weapons into Iraq: particularly, the House seeks to arm the Kurds in northern "without the approval of the Iraqi government."

Dr. Ron Paul stressed that although these arms are believed to be used against the notorious Islamic State, there are "too many prior examples that they often find their way into the hands of the very people we [the United States] are fighting." Furthermore, the former congressman underscored that by arming the Kurds, Washington is indirectly encouraging their secessionism.  

Ron Paul highlighted that while the neocons "keep pushing the lie that the military budget is shrinking under the Obama Administration, the opposite is true."

Referring to a survey conducted by the CATO Institute, Ron Paul pointed out that President George W. Bush's average defense budget amounted to $601 billion, while Barack Obama's average military spending has reached $687 billion. 

"Next year's military spending plan keeps the US on track toward destruction of its economy at home while provoking new resentment over US interventionism overseas. It is a recipe for disaster," Dr. Ron Paul concluded.