BILLION$ FOR MISSILES, CRUMS FOR AMERICA
THAAD: THE LATEST U.S. GIFT TO ISRAEL'S ALREADY BLOATED MILITARY
Here we go again: The U.S. has decided to throw 1 billion dollars at Israel’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system—an outdated relic that Israel doesn’t even need. THAAD is another expensive toy for a military that already boasts Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow 3—systems that do the job just fine.
[To illustrate this redundancy, the comparison table in the below section shows how THAAD stacks up against Israel’s other air defense systems, further highlighting the inefficiency of deploying this outdated relic.]
{Israel’s Arsenal: Already Enough And Then Some}
Let’s not pretend Israel is defenseless. It has Iron Dome to intercept short-range rockets at 50 million dollars per battery, David’s Sling for medium-range threats, and Arrow 3 for ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere—all of which outperform THAAD (see Ref #2). Yet, the U.S. feels the need to donate another billion-dollar system—because maybe one day, Iron Dome’s 90% success rate just won’t cut it?
The irony is hard to ignore. Israel’s arsenal is more diverse, modern, and capable than ever before. The THAAD system, meanwhile, is not only 30-year-old tech but completely unnecessary for the current threats Israel faces. Why throw taxpayer money at a system that won’t make a difference when Israel already handles every missile thrown its way?
{Iran’s Attack In October 2024: Even The Best Systems Struggle}
Then there’s Iran’s recent missile barrage—over 200 ballistic missiles launched at Israel (see Ref #3). Despite Israel’s advanced multi-layer defense, about half of the customized ballistic missiles slipped through, causing damage and panic. Even with the best systems in place—systems far more capable than THAAD—missiles breached Israel’s defenses.
So why are we wasting billions on a system that wouldn’t have stopped the October 2024 Iranian retaliation attack anyway? Adding THAAD into Israel’s already overflowing defense stack isn’t about protection—it’s about optics. It’s a billion-dollar marketing showpiece, paid for by U.S. taxpayers.
{America’s Own Struggles: FEMA’s Funding Crisis}
Here’s the kicker: While the U.S. is gifting billion-dollar defense systems to Israel, back home, FEMA is running out of money. Just this month, FEMA had 20 billion dollars in its Disaster Relief Fund, and within one week, nearly half of it was gone. Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across the southeastern U.S., and FEMA is already warning that they won’t have enough to cover the rest of the season (see Ref #4).
1 billion dollars for a useless THAAD system could have been spent on disaster recovery, rebuilding homes destroyed by hurricanes, and funding the 500 billion dollars needed to repair crumbling U.S. schools (see Ref #2). But no, instead, that money will sit in a hangar, waiting to be deployed in a country that already has the most sophisticated missile defense systems in the world.
In parallel, the U.S. National Education Association (NEA) had called for a massive $500 billion investment to repair and upgrade American public school infrastructure. This figure starkly contrasts with the $6 trillion the U.S. has spent on wars since 2001. The THAAD deployment to Israel, costing $1 billion just for initial setup and $30-50 million annually to operate, is emblematic of the misplaced priorities that could otherwise fund urgent domestic needs, like modernizing schools or improving healthcare (See Ref 2).
Isn't this useless gift more crucial for a better, more secure future for Americans, rather than financing a missile system that Israel does not need, given its already superior defense capabilities?
{Lebanon: We’re Still Standing}
And while the U.S. burns money on Israeli war machine systems that don’t matter, here in Lebanon, we fight on. Our homes destroyed, our people displaced, yet we still believe. Every day, we see our children playing on the sidewalks, families living on the streets after losing their homes to Israeli airstrikes, and still, we persist. They haven’t given up, so neither will we.
Meanwhile, the U.S. funnels billions into a war machine that perpetuates this destruction, while millions of Americans at home go without the resources they desperately need. It’s beyond irony—it’s tragedy.
{THAAD Won’t Save Israel. Justice Will.}
Throwing money at missile systems won’t bring security. It won’t solve the conflict. What will? Justice, accountability, and the end of occupation and aggression. But until that day comes, we’ll keep standing, and we’ll keep fighting for what’s right. Because no amount of THAAD missiles will silence us, and no billion-dollar gift will buy Israel the security it seeks through dominance.
{References}
1. "Exposing Expansionism: The Greater Israel Ideology and Its Threat to Lebanon"
2. "U.S. Military Aid and Support to Israel: The Financial Burden on American Taxpayers"
3. "Iranian Missile Attack and Israel's Response"
4. "FEMA's Funding Crisis After Hurricane Helene"
#MiddleEast #Israel #Palestine #Gaza #Lebanon #Beirut #Syria #Yemen #Iraq #FEMA #THAAD #Pentagon
BILLION$ FOR MISSILES, CRUMS FOR AMERICA
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