During the past few decades it is estimated our country has spent trillions (with a t and an s) of dollars fighting wars and terrorists in many countries throughout the world. Mathematically, 1 trillion dollars is equivalent to 1 million dollars spent 1 million times, and do not forget the "s" above.

Wealthy individuals who have "stock" in the various components of warfare (industry, bombs, bullets, planes, supplies, etc., just keep accumulating more and more wealth. As an example, just before I moved to SLO County, I was speaking with a real estate agent. Out of curiosity I asked him about the occupation of the new owner a house that just had sold for $6 million. His reply, "He sells canvas to the military."

Meanwhile, here in America we are: losing the war on hunger as one out of every six children go to bed hungry at night, losing the war on drug addiction, losing the war on poverty, losing the war on ...

Is this a great country ... or what? I think it's the "or what."

Jim Aprato

Cayucos