DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE: Case of the $95 billion peddled outside America while Americans can’t even pay their own bills

In case you forgot Civics 101 (if they are even teaching that anymore):

1. The government does not grant any rights.

2. The government has no right to grant anything.

3. In a government of the people, by the people and for the people, the government has privileges granted to it by the people.

The constitution was written to protect the people’s rights from the government, and to tell the government what privileges we the people grant it!

SO, LET’S TALK ABOUT $95 BILLION

That $95 billion – originally $116 billion of the American people’s money.

It became $95 billion during some disagreement.

The $20 billion for the United States’ border security was removed because I guess the United States is an unimportant player in U.S. National Security.

The $95 billion bill passed in the senate 70-29 with 22 Republicans joining Dems in the vote last week. It passed during the Super Bowl (wink wink) while no one was babysitting the out-of-control government spending machine. 

It consists of $61 billion to Ukraine, $14 billion to Israel and $4.83 billion to Taiwan (www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2024/ukraine-israel-aid-package-senate-vote)

And for the record, Republican Senator John Cornyn voted to pass it and Senator Ted Cruz opposed it. I suggest you vote accordingly at the next elections.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul stated the amount of money going to Ukraine in the bill is more than we spend on the entire US Marine Corps. 

Missouri Senator Josh Hawley said our money is also going to the private sector in Ukraine.

“We are funding their businesses, banks, and lord knows what. Money without end.” 

We are even paying the pensions of Ukrainian government officials and rebuilding the borders of Ukraine – but not our own border? 

OUR very own border bludgeoned daily with little to no consequences as the Trojan horse continues to be rolled in – and not even under cover of the night anymore.

And, I do not want to hear about Putin’s invasion anymore. 

Has anyone investigated why the U.S. is so dead set on sending billions of dollars to Zelensky?

Fox News reported the U.S. has already sent $196 billion to Ukraine from the U.S. That’s $196 billion that could have gone to the U.S. solving the open border crisis, homelessness, food insecurity, healthcare, and the list goes on and on and on – doesn’t it?

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson suggested he was not planning to move this bill to the house floor due to the fact the package fails to address U.S. border security issues. However, if a majority of members in the house can sponsor the bill, it can still come to the floor. 

I suggest you pay attention to who, if any representatives in congress decide to take up the charge.

If they do, I suggest you see who is funding their campaigns (i.e., check the lobbyist groups), and that goes for the senators who were all about giving our billions to the foreign war machine last week too.

To get you started (www.lusha.com/company-search/pharmaceutical-manufacturing/e0f690b5b5/ukraine/14), and take note there are 48 biotech/pharmaceutical companies located in Ukraine, and that list does not even include Bayer who also has a seed production company in Ukraine (www.bayer.com/media/en-us/bayer-to-invest-a-total-of-60-million-euros-in-its-ukrainian-seed-production-site). 

And in case you didn’t read one of my earlier columns, Bayer also owns Monsanto, a company with 70 companies or brands that were either owned by Monsanto or known to use genetically modified seeds sold by Monsanto like Campbell’s, Betty Crocker, and Proctor & Gamble. 

Does anyone think a pharmaceutical company buying a food company that was originally touted as an agrochemicals and agricultural biotechnology corporation raises red flags?

One person asked, “Have you ever wondered why the United States will never stop giving our tax dollars to Ukraine. Because of the companies located there.”

And so you’re able to follow the rabbit hole (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/retail-investors-account-56-bayer-073120526.html) reports Bayers largest shareholder is BlackRock, Inc., with ownership of 4.9%, and the Vanguard Group, Inc. is the second largest shareholder. You know the deal there without my even having to remind you.

And then – they want to give Israel $14 billion.

If you are out there protesting the war in Israel/Palestine, well from this journalist’s viewpoint, you can do something right here at home. 

It starts with holding our government accountable for bills like the Senate passed last week. 

That bill is fueling the war. How can you support any politician no matter the side of the aisle if you are shouting save Palestine and are not in the U.S. telling our own government “stop” and voting them out. 

Like the EU Foreign Affairs Chief Josep Borrell Fontelles said, “If you believe too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms.”

I think even an elementary school student could understand the appeal of that logic. It seems the politicians need to be reminded that their logical handling of this most critical matter will also determine their level of honor to this country.

And if you watched and supported the Super Bowl, think twice. 

It was reported nearly 10,000 people filed a complaint with the FCC over the ads paid for by the Israeli government aired during the Super Bowl. 

It was said CBS violated FCC rules by not making proper disclosures to the viewers across all platforms of said ads. I would imagine those who are shouting “Save Palestine” might have thought twice about supporting the Super Bowl if they had known, right?

Rita Cook is a freelance writer for The Ellis County Press. She can be reached at rcook13@earthlink.net.