For a nation with a huge deficit, heavy borrowing, and a situation that is developing a lack of trust in our currency (it’s only real value after all), we’re awfully free with our money, aren’t we?
President Obama decided to beef up support of the Somali government by providing weapons and training in an effort to combat Islamic insurgents. Of course, some of these troops we’re training may well be the very same people who drug Special Forces snipers Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon through the streets after they finally ran out of ammunition while defending a downed Blackhawk helicopter and it’s pilot.
Of course, most of the people serving currently in the Somali military aren’t these guys. However, Somalia needs to take care of itself at this point. We’ve spent a lot of U.S. lives (though a mere drop in the bucket compared to Iraq) trying to prop up this country. Personally, I believe in honoring our agreements…but not with money we don’t have.
We have a nation seriously in debt and trying to find ways to go further in debt. Not only are jobs being lost, but the Administration policies are showing signs that not only will they not create jobs, but will actually cost more jobs instead. This ain’t good folks. We’ve got problems in this country, and frankly paying for guns and training for folks halfway around the world just ain’t a priority for me.
Besides, there’s little guarantee that these arms would stay in the hands of Somali troops and not end up arming the pirates or Islamic insurgents the President seems so concerned about. Nations in with this state of affairs have a tendency to have very corrupt militaries, and I see no reason to assume that Somalia is any different. While I have no problem with U.S. companies selling weapons to Somalia, and U.S. advisors training these troops, I have a serious problem with our tax dollars paying for it.
Of course, this is the government. If they’re not throwing money at a problem, they just look lost.
