PROGRESSIVE PLAYBOOK > PENTAGON SPENDING + ENDLESS WARS

CORE MESSAGE

People in the United States and around the world want similar things: safety for our loved ones, freedom to be ourselves, shelter, clean air to breathe, and food to eat. But certain politicians and the greedy weapons manufacturers who fund them  have used fear and lies to divide us based on race, nationality, or faith. Meanwhile they funnel billions into multiple military entanglements around the world that pad corporate profits, endanger people at home and abroad, and pollute our communities. Politicians find hundreds of billions to support an ever-growing military industrial complex, but when we demand our tax dollars fund health care, good schools, and affordable child care, they tell us there simply isn't enough money to go around. 

Protecting our families and communities - locally and globally - means re-investing in diplomacy and other non-violent tools of statecraft. Together, we can cooperate to solve the biggest challenges we all face like climate change and pandemics. We are joining together across differences to build a world where all people can live with dignity and freedom and have their human rights respected, protected, and fulfilled.

 
 

WATCH IT IN ACTION

The coronavirus pandemic proves that we are all connected and we need to work together with the rest of the world to address the greatest challenges to human security like disease and damage to our climate. Turning our back on the rest of the world puts us at greater risk. We can’t fight a pandemic or climate change with bombs and we can’t get the health care, housing, and support we need if we pour trillions into bloated military budgets that can’t and won’t buy true security. Rather than continuing to increase the military budget, we should invest in sharing the COVID-19 vaccine and preventing the spread of the virus. We are all safer and stronger when our foreign policy is rooted deeply in values like equality, justice, and human rights. It’s time for us to work together to build a world where all of us can live with dignity and freedom.

POLLING + Fast Facts

 

AMERICANS VALUE DIPLOMACY AND WANT TO CUT PENTAGON SPENDING

73% of Americans say that good diplomacy is the best way to ensure peace, while 26% say military strength is the best way to do this. 56% of Americans support cutting Pentagon spending to pay for domestic priorities.

BILLIONS WASTED ON ENDLESS WARS

The United States has spent an estimated $8 trillion and counting on post-9/11 endless wars, with the war in Afghanistan having cost an estimated $45 billion each year.


Words that Work

 

We must prioritize diplomacy, development, and the well-being of all people in the world.

We must consistently uphold our values...

We want peace with….

Pursue peace and justice

Only by helping to make others secure will we ourselves become more secure.

We must be a partner for peace

We support dignity and justice for all people

NEXT: TOOLS + RESOURCES ↓

Tools + Resources

 

For more information, we have included the following additional resources below. These resources do not necessarily reflect the policy positions of the Progressive Caucus Action Fund.

MESSAGING GUIDES + DATA TOOLS

 

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