Fighting rages on about how we will balance our budget. Americans fear the same riots in Greece can erupt on the streets of Washington if we cut too far. Others fear that by not cutting at all we will drive our economy into another dark depression worse than ever seen. Americans agree that we need to do something, but we all seem to disagree on how to do it.
So, the President and groups of politicians agreed to either balance the budget and find necessary cuts or automatic cuts to the tune of $1.2 Trillion dollars would be enacted. Unfortunately, the Department of Defense was number one on the chopping block to loose some proverbial “fat”. So who cares? The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan which cost billions of dollars are either over or winding down, new technology is not needed as quickly and the ranks of services that swelled to meet the two wars demand are being trimmed down, all good things to save money. However, a new enemy emerged, a paper dragon that has become a hated bogey-man, like a tax dollar-sucking vampire; these creatures are known as military retirees.
These individuals who are somehow lumped in with Federal employees, politicians and other goverment civilians are now publicly decried. Every bit of their monthly paycheck and retirement benefits, like their healthcare, is hotly debated from coast to coast by politicians, ‘Occupiers’ and others. Why are we paying these people so much to get such great benefits for the rest of their lives when the common worker must put in twice as much time to get half the retirement benefits?
These are the .001% of the American population, yes, one-thousandth of a percent of America. In 2012, it is projected that the US population will reach over 316 million. In contrast, only 2.2 Americans serve in the armed forces, this includes National Guard, Reserves and Active Duty. Out of these service members, then Defense Secretary Robert Gates testified to the Senate Appropriations Committee, “about 70 to 80 percent of our force does not stay in the Service long enough to retire, but they leave with nothing.” He further stated that “the private sector is well ahead of us in that respect.”
This .001% has provided 24-hour a day freedom for 99.999% of Amercian citizens. This freedom has come at the cost of thousands of lives lost in combat, levels of unemployment over 15% versus just over 8% for the American population, double the divorce rates of the rest of the American population, twice the suicide rate of the American population and more.
This is not a case about the 99% getting help or a “break”, but what about we should do for the .001%. What about those soldiers, sailors and airmen that have gave their word and kept it for 20 years that you and I might sleep at night without the fear of oppression, tyranny or worse? .001% of the military is 455,000 people, a tiny fraction of the Occupy movement. The least we should do as an American society is say thank you and look at other ways to balance our budget woes other than over the backs of the .001%; those that have already given so much, even offerred to voluntarily give their lives should they have to just to keep us safe night and day, 365 days a year, without thanks or high pay. Is there truly another group more worthy of a government check than these individuals?