I Don't Approve My Tax Dollars to do That: Go to War (again)

Anyone who pays marginal attention to the news knows China and Japan are teetering on the precipice of major conflict. They are disputing the ownership of a little set of islands in the East China Sea, known as the Daiyuo Islands in China and Senkaku Islands in Japan.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta implores the United States to remain neutral. However since my fellow Millenials and I already face over $3 trillion dollars in wars that we had had no say in waging, now that I can vote I want to make my opinion loud and clear: no war (Ferraro 2012, Mount Holyoke College).  

Political jargon aside, this is a lot of money. 

Photo credit: http://www.peaceway.net/images/signs/PeaceWaysigns5.gif

Growing up watching ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, I heard the saying, “children pay for their parents’ wars.” It was most likely 2002, following the September 11^th attacks and President Bush was advocating invasion of Iraq. When I complained about the cost that would inevitably be dumped upon my generation long after the war ended, my parents, both born in the early 50’s countered that they experienced a similar situation. They had not voted for or against Vietnam yet they paid for it. In fact, they even protested against it and still paid for it. It is an inextricable cycle.

This graph shows the steady increase in DOO budget compared to the 2000, pre-9/11 budget. The amount spent on oversea contingency wars does not steadily increase but rather drops down around 2009 when Obama took office. Since then it has once again steadily risen though not to the degree at which it rose during President Bush's presidency. 
Photo Credit: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMxM0w78aI64W-0T82xqBxRIjgEVM5eJEZJLF_xdhTEs0tpsjjrrjfbuFLWZkhywuy_BhXZs9nS5klvpVzfWGQgAbxHiKymElmyiErduiPXUo7pkb5NVdmYCvPGsR9Lt4W1Ofpohyphenhyphen5A_T/

I do not agree with this cycle. How is it fair that a group of people has to pay for something it had no say in? Yes, I realize the simple answer is “Life is not fair.” But there has to be a way to finance a current generation’s experience without drowning the next generation in debt. My immediate thought is to insist that the Federal Government not spend money it does not have. This prevents excessive interest costs as well as excessive expenditures. But realistically, can a nation afford to be stingy in a time of war? Not if it expects to win.

Another alternative is to lower the voting age. Some may argue that since an American is not considered an adult in the legal sense until he or she is eighteen, he or she should not be eligible to vote. Can you really quantify an age at which a person is competent to vote? Part of me believes age is irrelevant: you should be allowed to vote when you make an effort to get educated about the issues and can make an informed decision. One could argue that based on that standard, many Americans do not deserve their vote. So why not allow a fourteen year old to vote? The future is theirs too.

Significantly fewer members of the rising or incoming generation vote compared to members of the generation currently in power and the one that just relinquished it. In my opinion, their votes are significantly less imperative than those of the rising generation because it is the rising generation who will primarily be affected by whatever policies passed. 
Photo credit: http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Politics/PrcntByAge.gif

I don’t presently have a satisfactory solution to prevent children from financing their parents’ wars. But what I can and will do is be cognizant of my decisions as a voter will affect both my and my children’s financial future. They should not have to pay for my mistakes – literally.

Thus far it seems as though the conflict between Japan and China will diffuse. Regardless, I do not approve my tax dollars to get involved in a war between Japan and China. Moreover, I do not approve my tax dollars to fund another war until the soldiers in Afghanistan come home.