Money for Nothing

Trey Smith

We live in an age of austerity, if we are to believe the scorched earth cult that has taken over most Western governments. Budgets are being slashed by economic irrationalists. Outlays are being trimmed. The nippers and snippers are doing their worst, and here, we have an astonishing statistic. The British government, through its police arm Scotland Yard, has spent somewhere in order of $5 million “guarding” Assange. The term is itself odd – guarding suggests that he might come to harm, that protection is required. The harm, of course, is purely down to the fact that the British government might just bag him and ensure his swift departure to a country that has not, as yet, laid formal charges.
~ from Guarding Assange in London by Binoy Kampmark ~

It is weird that, during these days of austerity, governments are more than willing to spend egregious amounts of taxpayer dollars on certain things. While many line item services are being slashed to the bone, others operate with an open checkbook.

Here in the US, as we get deeper into the Syrian civil war, it won't be surprising at all if we spend lavishly on it. We always seem to have enough space for tax cuts for the rich, but no money at all for things like climate change or repairing our creaking infrastructure.

Sigh. I'm not about to launch into a diatribe here. I just continue to point to this sad reality.