The budget has been submitted to congress, and the debate begins. We would all like a budget that will save taxpayer money and reduce the deficit. To accept a budget that will cost us billions in interest is foolish and wasteful. But whose back do we balance the budget on: the rich or the poor? Those who want to cut SSI, Medicare, Medicaid, and other social programs are sacrificing many Americans to poverty and death. But what of the defense slice of the budget pie? The rich, who run the country, won’t cut the defense budget in a serious way because so many of their profits rely on the Military Industrial Complex’s revenue.

The politics of war are the enemy of the people. To keep alive the war on terrorism puts billions in the pockets of our corporate elite. Between Homeland Security and the Defense Department, a quarter of our tax dollars are spent. That equates to a trillion dollars a year. It begs the question: Do you feel safe? When will we realize that no matter how much we spend, it will never buy us safety?

Our nation has always been the shining light of democracy and freedom in the world. Our strength is our democracy, not military might. We should make our leaders reflect the values that make us strong, not cower from fear and hate. It’s time for us to become a compassionate nation, not feed the addictions our leaders use to control us. Of what are we really afraid? Let’s kick the habit of fear, and show the world how to forgive those who would do us harm, not spend trillions to defend against them.