Every November, politicians dust off their flag pins, give a speech about sacrifice and try to look humble for 30 seconds before heading back to their offices to argue and plot. Veterans Day is supposed to honor the people who put service above self. In Washington, D.C., that concept doesn’t register — and it’s disgusting.
Our veterans risked everything — their lives, their health, their sanity, their families — all for something bigger than themselves. Politicians, on the other hand, make the messes around the globe that our veterans have to clean up — when they’re allowed to.
Meanwhile, politicians can’t risk losing a single polling point. They’ll fight to the death over a sound bite but won’t lift a finger for veterans’ healthcare. They’ll send billions overseas in the name of democracy but can’t fund a functioning VA clinic. If this were the military, half of them would’ve been dishonorably discharged for dereliction of duty.
Service used to mean something. You showed up, did your job, didn’t complain and didn’t blame the other guy when things got tough. Veterans still live that way. Politicians don’t. These days, “service” in Washington, D.C., means serving yourself — your donors, your base, your next election cycle. The only thing they truly defend is re-election.
Imagine if we ran Congress like the military. Deadlines and budgets would be met. Orders would be clear. Failure would have consequences. Instead, Washington, D.C., operates on a different battlefield where accountability is optional and “taking fire” means a mean tweet.
Every Veterans Day, I can’t help but think our country would be better off if more of our leaders had once served — not because veterans are perfect, but because they understand sacrifice, chain of command and mission over ego. They know leadership is earned, not inherited through seniority or party loyalty.
There’s also the money. Public Citizen reports that defense contractors pour millions into the campaigns of lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, often right before those same lawmakers vote to increase Pentagon budgets. According to Prospect+1, more than 50 members of Congress — or their families — own stock in defense companies, creating obvious conflicts of interest.
Consider a few examples:
— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R–S.C.): Never met a war he didn’t like. Received roughly $760,000 from defense contractors in one election cycle.
— Rep. Mike Waltz (R–Florida): Former Armed Services Committee member accepted $207,000 from defense industry donors.
— Rep. Tom Cole (R–Oklahoma): On Appropriations and Veterans Affairs Committees, received $292,000 from defense interests.
— Rep. Mike Rogers (R–Alabama): Pulled in $535,000 from defense contractors.
— Sen. Roger Wicker (R–MS): Senate Armed Services member received $421,000 linked to the defense sector.
And that’s just a few. There are Democrats on the list, too. If lawmakers receive hundreds of thousands from companies that profit off war, who’s really writing our policy? There may be no proof of outright bribery, but there’s sure as hell an appearance of influence, and it’s our military and veterans who pay the price.
So, this Veterans Day, while politicians issue statements and pose for photo ops, remember who really serves this country. It’s not the game-playing political suits; it’s those who came home wearing the scars of duty. And there are too damn many of them carrying those scars.
And here’s the final insult: While Washington, D.C., plays its silly budget games and shuts down the government, our troops stand guard without pay. But Congress? They still get their checks, guaranteed by law. Their salaries are permanently funded under the Constitution, Article I, Section 6.
Seems backward, doesn’t it?
Alan Webber, a Bourbonnais resident, has been a weekly contributor to the opinion pages of The Gilman Star and City News, as well as a few publications in Arizona. He is also a blogger, occasional podcaster and the author of two novels. Raised in Iroquois County, he owns A.N. Webber Inc., a trucking company in Kankakee, and graduated from Clifton Central
High in 1975. His blog appears at www.webberswhippingpost.com.
He can be reached at awebber@anwebber.com.