A MORAL OBSCENITY DEMOCRACY NOW

The White House unveiled a $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget request, the largest year‑over‑year increase since World War II. The plan adds billions for F‑35 stealth fighters, Virginia‑class submarines and the so‑called Golden Dome missile‑defense shield, while promising higher troop salaries and AI development. By itself the request does not include a supplemental war fund for the ongoing Iran conflict, but the sheer scale—over a 50 percent jump—means the federal debt will be leveraged to finance more weapons. Analysts warn that such a surge reshapes national priorities toward perpetual militarization.

Simultaneously, the administration is pushing massive arms sales to Israel, including more than 20,000 1,000‑pound bombs drawn from U.S. stockpiles and bulldozers used to raze Palestinian homes. Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced resolutions to block the $660 million bomb sale, arguing it violates American law that bars weapons to countries committing human‑rights abuses. The State Department also approved $23 billion in sales to the UAE, Kuwait and Jordan, raising concerns that emergency authority is being used to sidestep congressional oversight. Critics label the combined spending a "moral obscenity" that fuels conflict rather than diplomacy.

At the same time, the proposal slashes $3.6 billion from NASA’s science budget, jeopardizing dozens of research programs and paving the way for private firms like SpaceX to dominate a militarized space arena. Public Citizen and other advocacy groups warn that the $500 billion Pentagon boost, paired with a $100 billion cut to education, health care, climate and affordable housing, could be redirected to universal Medicaid, expanded Medicare or renewable‑energy initiatives. Republicans aim to fast‑track the spending through the filibuster‑proof reconciliation process, effectively bypassing Democratic input. The debate now centers on whether the nation will fund war or invest in its social future.