The Trump Administration’s ongoing military operation in Iran is an incredible money sink for American taxpayers. With the House of Representatives’ recent passage of $73 billion towards funding the war, one has to wonder what else this money could be used for. If the administration wants to combat terrorism in the region, in the interest of national security, many military leaders agree that anti-poverty foreign policy is a better strategy than bombing. As infrastructure breaks down and living conditions worsen, the people of Iran are more likely to resort to desperate measures, as we have seen time and again in the Middle East region. We have already seen popular approval for Iran’s extremist government skyrocket since the beginning of this war.
With the potential $300 billion reconstruction of Iran plan pending, Americans must take a hard look at how we allocate our resources. First the administration wages a costly war, and then it has to come up with the money to fix the damage it created. This money could be better and more efficiently spent targeting violent extremism from its root, through the use of foreign aid.
Reducing poverty and improving the standard of living reduces the desperation that leads to violence. Instead of allocating billions of taxpayer dollars to unpopular, ineffective military operations, putting this money towards foreign aid is a more efficient long-term solution to the question of our national security. Foreign aid, in stark contrast to this war, has been proven to be both cheap and effective, according to The Borgen Project, a nonprofit organization focused on advocacy for anti-poverty foreign policy.
Lexington’s congresspeople, Representative Clark and Senators Warren and Markey, have been strong voices against Trump’s action in Iran. I urge you to contact them to express your support of their efforts, as well as a renewed emphasis on policy targeting global poverty.
Radhika Yeddanapudi
Borgen Project Ambassador