Military Spending

I received the following email:

Mr. Craig:

One item that will be at the top of the congressional agenda next year is government spending. The deficit commission appointed by the president and Congress is expected to make recommendations on how to address this issue in December. Congress is planning to consider these recommendations early next year.

As a candidate to represent me in the House of Representatives, will you work to make sure that when Congress begins to look at government spending, the focus will be on cutting military spending and investing in programs that create jobs, assist those hardest hit by recession and take care of our elders?

Congress could save an estimated $2 trillion in the next ten years by not extending the tax cuts for the wealthiest households in our nation and by cutting the Pentagon budget using the recommendations of the Sustainable Defense Task Force. Will you support these sound policy recommendations?

Sincerely,

[name withheld]

I responded:

Hi [name],

I am overwhelmingly your choice for Congress if you are for peace. I am opposed to U.S. military intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as opposed to the hundreds of military bases the U.S. has in over 100 foreign nations.

My website is probably the largest candidate website on the Internet, and my webpages on peace and nuclear disarmament are prominently highlighted.

http://KevinCraig.us/peace.htm
http://KevinCraig.us/iraq.htm
http://KevinCraig.us/afghanistan.htm
http://KevinCraig.us/disarm.htm

I am a Bible-believing Christian, and it is deeply troubling to me that so many Christians support U.S. military intervention. If elected, I would use the "bully pulpit" to engage the over 200 million self-described Christians in America in a conversation to follow the "Prince of Peace" more consistently.

http://KevinCraig.us/cityhill.htm
http://KevinCraig.us/imperialism.htm

I have to be honest, however, and confess that I believe taxation is an act of violence and the moral equivalent of theft. Therefore I support the extension of the "Bush tax cuts."

http://KevinCraig.us/taxation.htm
http://KevinCraig.us/violence.htm

Fully 50% of Americans do not pay taxes at all, so "tax cuts for the rich" is the only possible way to cut taxes.

Also, you speak of "investing in programs that create jobs, assist those hardest hit by recession and take care of our elders." We may disagree on these issues. For now.

I believe these tasks are outside the "enumerated powers" of the Constitution:

http://KevinCraig.us/enumerated.htm

Government "investments" are counter-productive:

http://KevinCraig.us/investment.htm

These "investments" actually destroy jobs:

http://KevinCraig.us/jobs.htm

Government compulsion is no substitute for helping from the heart those in need:

http://KevinCraig.us/welfare.htm

The federal government is the biggest threat to the elderly:

http://KevinCraig.us/bankrupt.htm

We don't need to increase taxes, and we don't need government "investments." We need to cut government spending, especially military spending:

http://KevinCraig.us/defense_budget.htm

Not just "waste," but the core of the defense budget needs to be slashed to bring it into line with the non-interventionist foreign policy of America's Founding Fathers:

http://KevinCraig.us/foreign_affairs.htm

This is a call for a massive change of heart and soul.

If America's Christians would tithe on their income (presently they give only about 2.5% rather than 10%), there would be enough private donations to bring basic healthcare and education to all the poor of the earth. Christians would still have another $60-70 billion left over for evangelism around the world. [source] The possibilities are staggering.

If we can get Christians to follow the Prince of Peace and practice the "works of mercy," we won't need government taxes and impersonal bureaucratic "investment" programs.

http://KevinCraig.us/mercy.htm

Maybe you disagree, but I'm happy that we agree on the possibility of starting with substantial cuts in spending for military aggression.

Please tell all your friends to vote for Kevin Craig on November 2.

Thanks for writing.



Kevin Craig
www.KevinCraig.us
Libertarian Party Candidate
Missouri 7th District
U.S. House of Representatives
P.O. Box 179
Powersite, MO 65731