Sit out election day at your peril

Recently the Unitarian Universalist Church’s Film Committee showed 30 people the film Pax Americana and the Weaponization of Space, offering pros and cons regarding NASA’s plan to establish U.S. space mastery for military and commercial purposes, excluding other nations. Proponents cited the strategy of “high ground,” which would offer speedy defense against threats. Opponents foresaw a new unaffordable arms race, risking space so cluttered as to risk future space utilization. Future inhabitants mightn’t have cell phones, internet, GPS, sophisticated weather predictions or opportunities for further space exploration. 

Questions arose regarding other military spending, such as the multi-trillion dollar H-bomb arms race and three unjustified wars. 

The film portrayed cozy relationships between megacorporations and our military, showing how difficult it would be to reverse the forces that some consider propelling us toward national suicide.

How could we not conclude that our nation provides the same corporate welfare to military industries that it does to so many transnational corporations, harming our economy in many ways, like jobs going overseas?

We approach Nov. 2 following unrestrained corporate funding of candidates, who favor the wealthiest corporations, with the intent of regenerating a Republican controlled Congress.

Sit out election day at your peril.

— Lew Patrie
Asheville

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