nightoowl

People don’t grasp what U.S. foreign aid actually is in cases like Israel: It’s not “aid” in the charitable sense. It’s defense subsidies — money that largely flows to U.S. contractors, routed through allied outposts so the U.S. doesn’t have to station its own forces there. ~ Israel – $3.3–3.8B/yr ~ Egypt – $1.3B/yr ~ Jordan – $1.2–1.7B/yr ~ Ukraine – $6–12B/yr recently ~ Iraq / Afghan (historically) – $Bs/yr ~ Taiwan – $100M–500M ~ Ethiopia / DRC / others – $1–2B/yr ~ Lebanon, Kenya, Nigeria, etc – $100Ms Israel isn’t unique — it’s just the most consistently visible peacetime case. This is a system: ~ fund allied militaries w/ U.S.-tied $ ~ lock them into U.S. weapons & logistics ~ project power globally without deploying U.S. troops everywhere Military aid to Israel isn’t some anomaly — it’s a clean, stable example of how the U.S. extends its defense perimeter. It’s simply smart strategy.

People don’t grasp what U.S. foreign aid actually is in cases like Israel: It’s not “aid” in the charitable sense. It’s defense subsidies — money that largely flows to U.S. contractors, routed through allied outposts so the U.S. doesn’t have to station its own forces there. ~ Israel – $3.3–3.8B/yr ~ Egypt – $1.3B/yr ~ Jordan – $1.2–1.7B/yr ~ Ukraine – $6–12B/yr recently ~ Iraq / Afghan (historically) – $Bs/yr ~ Taiwan – $100M–500M ~ Ethiopia / DRC / others – $1–2B/yr ~ Lebanon, Kenya, Nigeria, etc – $100Ms Israel isn’t unique — it’s just the most consistently visible peacetime case. This is a system: ~ fund allied militaries w/ U.S.-tied $ ~ lock them into U.S. weapons & logistics ~ project power globally without deploying U.S. troops everywhere Military aid to Israel isn’t some anomaly — it’s a clean, stable example of how the U.S. extends its defense perimeter. It’s simply smart strategy.

The Israeli government is well able to fund the Iron Dome system, which has proven critical to keep innocent civilians safe from rocket attacks and bombardment. Consistent with my voting record to date, I will not support Congress sending more taxpayer dollars and military aid to a government that consistently ignores international law and U.S. law. Netanyahu’s allies in the Knesset just approved a $45 billion defense budget, and the Prime Minister himself also asserted his interest in withdrawing from the MOU with the United States in January. It is fully within their ability to fund Iron Dome and other defensive systems. Our allies who need our military aid must understand that we will provide it consistent with the Leahy amendment and the foreign assistance act.

Florida became a magnet for new residents over the past few years. Overdeveloping and an open door policy has consequences in our elections. We saw this yesterday. I'm going to say something very controversial that will get push back. If we vote to end property taxes, the magnet will grow in intensity and draw millions more to my state. We should really be considering adding a legacy clause to ending property taxes that only extends to Residents who have been here for 20 years and with Florida being their primary residence. We obviously need relief, but we need to consider the consequences and talk about real long-term solutions, not just quick fixes.

While fundraising for Massie, MTG blames "Jewish billionaires" for backing his opponent. Christian nationalism blames "Jews" for the crimes of US empire, absolving Christian Zionists. This "anti-establishment" voice circumvents the key structural critique of our foreign policy.

BREAKING: Iran says it will bomb Palantir, Oracle, and other major Western firms, declaring them “legitimate targets.”