The United States spends as much supporting our military-industrial complex as the next 14 countries combined, including Russia and China.

Those trillions of dollars don’t include more trillions we give to favored countries in the form of just military aid alone. Trillions more are spent on those countries for nonmilitary aid.

We have military bases in 63 countries, many of which are in Europe, including Spain, Italy and Germany. Japan, another economic competitor, is defended in its entirety by U.S. dollars.

Perhaps more military aid should be provided to our own country so that bases such as Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City aren’t eliminated.

There would be money left over to reduce our national debt.

This thinking is consistent with the platform of past and future Sen. Larry Pressler, the independent candidate in this year’s South Dakota U.S. Senate race.

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