While America is fixated with the Democrat and Republican presidential candidate’s treatment of each others personal affairs, I have found it odd that America’s largest single public expenditure scheduled for the coming decades has received no attention in the 2015-2016 presidential debates — a Trillion Dollar, yes Trillion with a “T,” Program to “modernize” the US nuclear arsenal and production facilities.

Although President Obama began his administration with a dramatic public commitment to build a nuclear weapons-free world, that commitment has long ago dwindled and died. When the current Democrat candidate for president was asked what she thought of this program she shrugged it off with “I’ll look into it.” The Republican candidate noted that he thought our nuclear arsenal was out of date.

“We’reŠ wondering how the heck we’re going to pay for it,” admitted Brian McKeon, an undersecretary of defense. And we’re “probably thanking our stars we won’t be here to have to have to answer the question,” he added with a chuckle.

Unaffordable bombs with an imaginary mission placed in many countries who don’t want them.

If this was not enough, our fixation with the non-vital issues caused the media and myopic to miss out on the weapons deal Democrat and U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration has offered Saudi Arabia — a deal of more than $115 billion in weapons, other military equipment and training, the most of any U.S. administration in the 71-year U.S.-Saudi alliance, a report seen by Reuters has found.

Saudi Arabia’s horrific human rights record, its executions of peaceful activists who were arrested as minors and its extreme repression of women — including the harsh punishment, such as lashing, of women who were raped, treating women as 2nd class citizens and applying the death sentence for homosexuals.

This largely unreported war with Yemen has killed over 10,000 people and displaced more than 3 million. Other countries have called the USA “merchants of death.” Now you might know why.

Wait, there is more. The current administration has also announced an FY2017 Department of Defense funding request of $3.4 billion for the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI). This request quadruples last year’s ERI funding level.

This includes 4,500 troops, 250 tanks, and 1,700 other military vehicles. These are to be placed on the Western borders of Russia. I have bad news for you Bullwinkle, Russia’s military spending is 4th in world behind countries like Saudi Arabia and China.

In fact, Russia spends about 88% less on military than the United States. The Democrats and Republicans need to create a second cold war to keep contributions from military contractors is reckless and unnecessary.

Selling war toys are one way the Democrats and Republicans keep their contribution doors open and I often wonder why the “Occupy” movement doesn’t Occupy the Corporate machine of the Democrat and Republican parties.

So what’s the answer if the Democrats and Republicans have shown a panache for keeping the campaign dollars rolling in from military contractors in return for favors? We are lucky enough to have a third presidential candidate running for office this year who is not bought off by the merchants of death, has a policy of nonmilitary expansion into other countries, and who is on the ballot in all 50 states.

Gary Johnson and Bill Weld have become the logical choice in a very scary world. With Gary Johnson and Bill Weld, you can actually vote for good people instead of not liking one candidate but hating the other.

Vote positive, vote for good honest people that don’t have a long list of baggage and questionable decisions following them. Vote Johnson Weld for President.

References:

• http://www.ploughshares.org/issues-analysis/article/meet-budget-busting-b61-nuclear-bomb

• http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-saudi-security-idUSKCN11D2JQ

• https://www.google.com/search?q=military+spending+by+country&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

• http://billmoyers.com/story/the-trillion-dollar-question-the-media-have-neglected-to-ask-presidential-candidates

Dan Warren is a Tahoe Vista resident.