War Spending Helps Rural Economies -- Is That Good?

"Facing South", the Institute for Southern Studies' blog, asked the question first but we couldn't have said it better ourselves: "Is it good that war spending is helping rural economies?"

"Facing South" is based in North Carolina, but the report actually covers eight Southern states (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia). All have seen big influxes of military money.

Certainly, money matters, but so do a lot of other things, including the "big" ones like whether our country's international reputation is better now, or better before we went into Iraq ... we say, "No." Or, do we have fewer enemies -- or more enemies -- than we did before 9-11? ... we say, "More." Or is our economy in general better or worse? ... when we answer this question, we're thinking about working families. Are jobs more secure? Is it easier to send a child to college? and more. We say, "Everything is more difficult."

You may agree, or disagree, but one way or the other, we challenge you to read, consider, and also to ask yourself hard questions. Because of the higher recruitment rate for soldiers from rural communities, our sons and daughters are dying at a 60 percent higher rate than urban families' children (Carsey Institute data).

Ask yourself too? Did your Senator or Member of Congress vote against the new GI Bill that Senator Webb and others worked so diligently to pass? President Bush opposed as did Senator McCain. The Washington Post recently offered an editorial about "What the GI's Deserve." Long story short, Bush eventually signed the bill into law but McCain continues to oppose.

Keeping Our Nation and Our Families Safe

As we catch our breath from yesterday's ballot box results (Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont), it seems a good time to reflect upon our values. Here at My Rural America, we frame ours like this:

• Independence – Honoring true patriotism, national security and the United States Constitution.
• The Great Outdoors – Cherishing our land and water, saving nature so that it can remain as glorious as God made it.
  
• Family – Children, good neighbors, friends helping friends, working together to solve problems … teamwork.
• Prosperity – Honest work, education, sharing wealth, critical thinking, healthcare...making sure that our Middle Class is working smarter to remain strong.

We place "Independence" first on our list of values because we see it as key to keeping our country safe, while offering protection, a level playing field and resources for our families to grow and prosper. Without honesty in government, without free speech, without freedom of religion ... without the balancing commitment our U.S. Constitution and its Bill of Rights makes to provide for the general welfare and much more, our country would be very different. Still there are people who debate whether our Constitution is a document frozen in time, or whether it contains lessons that stand the strength of time. George Washington, first President of the United States, chaired the convention which wrote the U.S. Constitution that 39 of the 55 delegates attending signed.

On Saturday, Brian O'Malley wrote a story that offers a sample of George Washington's wisdom that is still current today. We offer it as a sample of why we believe that our values -- Independence, the Great Outdoors, Family and Prosperity -- are inter-related. We also offer it as a challenge to our readers: Lessons on Iraq from a Founding Father, as published in the Washington Post on 3/1/08.

As you read it, we ask you to reflect upon how we as a nation have gotten to the point that our priorities are so mixed up that we have spent almost $500 Billion dollars on the Iraq war. This war has cost every U.S. family more than $4000 and at the same time, has run up a national debt of over $30,000 per family that at one time or another we are going to have to pay. And for what? Al Qaeda was not in Iraq but our going to war so destabilized the region that now they are -- making things worse rather than better; oil prices have sky rocketed -- think $4 per gallon coming soon; more than 4000 U.S. soldiers have been killed and more than 60,000 have been wounded. Regarding our soldiers -- remember that rural America is paying almost double the price since there is a 60% higher death rate for rural soldiers as compared to the soldiers who come from urban America.

Meanwhile, President Bush and the conservatives that support him have placed the President and the Executive Branch above the law ... ignoring the Constitution ... as Bush and the conservatives support the use of torture, illegal wiretaps, secret courts where "secret evidence" is used against defendants who don't even get to know what they are charged with and much more. It's a dangerous time for our country.

Read More:

• National Priorities Project
• American Freedom Campaign