9 coups. 5 countries. BILLIONS in U.S. military training.

 

Weeks ago, a military coup ousted Burkina Faso’s democratically elected president, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. The new leader? Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, a U.S.-trained soldier.

Damiba received special ops and military intelligence training directly from the Pentagon, as part of a multi-BILLION dollar, decades-long attempt to “counter terrorism.”

Not only has this weapons-and-war-first approach failed to curb violence in the region, it’s had other disastrous results. In West Africa alone, U.S.-trained soldiers have attempted at least 9 coups across 5 countries in just the last 14 years. It’s a U.S.-funded endless war feedback loop.

This “national security” system isn’t making anyone safer, not here and not in Burkina Faso. We need a fundamental shift in our priorities — you know it, I know it, and a majority of people in the United States now agree: it’s time to cut the weapons and war budget. 

That’s why it’s infuriating that we’re hearing President Biden is set to propose raising the Pentagon budget yet again — by $60 BILLION more than Trump’s average request. 

But this is key: Biden’s increase can’t happen without the House of Representatives in tow. We’re gearing up to build our power to push back, working closely with a growing coalition in Congress that’s also laser-focused on cutting the Pentagon budget. Together, we’ll create unprecedented levels of congressional opposition to rubber-stamping another bloated Pentagon budget — and we need you with us.

Coups like in Burkina Faso last month, in Guinea last year, or in Mali in 2020 aren’t a failure of the U.S. war machine: they’re evidence of the system working exactly as designed. 

The ENORMOUS Pentagon budget doesn’t reflect the security needs of the country or impacted communities who deserve our support — it reflects the wants of gigantic weapons corporation CEOs and lawmakers who collectively receive $25 million per election in donations from their companies. 

These war profiteers stand to lose BIG if we’re successful in cutting up the Pentagon’s blank check budget — and they’ll throw everything they’ve got toward keeping the war machine running. 

That’s why we have to come out even harder than we have before if we want to stop spending where weapons contractors want, and start spending on the things that will actually keep us safe — and help people thrive. 

With huge public awareness of the enormous toll our misguided priorities have for communities across the globe, this is a critical moment to build power and call for a fundamental reckoning. 

That’s why our team is pulling out all the stops to work with allied lawmakers and powerful progressive partners to cut the Pentagon budget. It’s an uphill challenge, and we need you with us for the long-term.

Budgets are moral documents, and what we choose to fund is what we’ll see flourish. If we do this right, we’ll have a chance at turning the tide on a violent, broken status quo that prioritizes profit over people’s needs. 

Together, we’ll build something that can provide true security for ALL of us.

Thank you for working for peace,

Annika, Abbey, Yint, and the Win Without War team

© Win Without War 2021
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