Regarding whether the state of Maine – we, the taxpayers – should agree to enlarge the wealth of an already wealthy defense contractor, General Dynamics, we need to look at the big picture.

This is not 1997, when General Dynamics bought Bath Iron Works and was a much smaller company. It was then arguably sensible for us to help BIW upgrade its facilities,

General Dynamics now records around $3 billion each year in profits. They also happen to be in an industry that has no oversight and total congressional support to increase its money supply, led by a White House in chaos and requesting even-greater defense spending.

The defense industry is booming, and General Dynamics knows that BIW is truly a cash cow. It, and Ingalls in Mississippi, are the two big players, and both are prospering and will continue to do so. General Dynamics couldn’t care less if they get the $45 million Maine state tax break. It is truly small change to them.

The real issue is that we have a disturbed man as our president and inhabit a country that is both envied and hated. We have military bases in almost every region of the world and basically do as we please, never considering the eventual blowback. Can you imagine how we might all feel if Iraq or Afghanistan had invaded us, destroyed much of our country and then had no intention of ever leaving?

There are individuals everywhere who wish us harm and are attempting to do us harm. We need to come together as a country and begin to discuss spending less of our wealth on weapons and more on everything else that might engender less hate and create a more peaceful world.

We are at a point where we need to cut back our subsidies to the war machine, and these requested General Dynamics millions are a great place to start.

Paul Schelble

Liberty

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