Paying the Piper

Once again, it is Memorial Day, the one day of the year set aside to honor our war dead.  I have titled this blog, "Paying the Piper."  Those war dead are only a small part of the real costs of the, seeming, human proclivity for waging war. 

Since 911 in 2001, the United States has been involved in a State of War in one way or another, only now seriously making plans to pull out most of the people who have been stationed in Afghanistan.  Generally, the cost of this State of War is not toted up for all to see.  The closest we come are the various Military Appropriations in the Nation's budget. 

As for the current Military Appropriations Bill, wherein the Military's attempt to reduce it's size and armaments has been thwarted by Congress, which has refused to reduce the appropriations accordingly.  This, of course, is nothing new; it follows previous years when they have lavished vast amounts on the military. beyond what was requested.

Even so, those monies, in addition to the price the soldiers paid for their involvement, do not indicate what the costs of war truly are. (The one, rarely counted except for this day, are the dead.)  Recently, we, the public, have been encouraged to go up to military personnel in uniform and to thank them for their service.  Dutifully, we have complied, to the extent that now, apparently, this, "thanking" is becoming a tiresome burden to those seen in uniform. 

That this, "thanking" is merely lip service is born out by current news stories; clear to those who pay attention to the news, at any rate.  The primary concern, currently, being the news headlines regarding the VA and it's seeming inability to take care of the veterans of  recent wars, as promised. 

The VA is the largest medical organization in the U.S.  Contrary to what officialdom would have us believe, it's inability to care for those wounded military personnel to a high standard has been known by friends and relatives of veterans for many years.  The public knowledge, started a number of years ago, primarily, with the revelations about the appalling state of the VA hospitals, through the current VA waiting-list scandal. 

Excuses being given for problems are the many people added to the VA Medical Program, since those Wars growing out of 911, as well as Veterans of our previous wars; i.e., Vietnam, aging and needing more care.  

The ongoing costs having to be paid extend far beyond such, "line items" in the Piper's bill, however.  Another major item is that of the ongoing disposal of nuclear waste brought about by the development of nuclear bombs during the Second World War.

Relatively recently, Billions of dollars was spent to create the WIPP facility, (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant) in New Mexico.  This facility was meant to store relatively low-level-radiation waste created during the development of atomic weapons, into perpetuity.   There have been a number of recent news stories concerning WIPP, where an explosion occurred, (last Valentine's day, no less), in the underground facility.  The importance of this unforeseen event is indicated by the fact that, when the facility was proposed, the possibility of such an event happening was given at, perhaps, "once in 100,000 years"!  News stories have not dwelt on the costs now involved of cleaning up after that event, which are likely to be enormous.

No attention has been given to the vast amounts of all the greater-than-low-level nuclear bomb waste byproducts created, which has yet to be addressed.  One recent attempt was a proposed facility in Arizona, which had to be abandoned.  As a result there has been developing an effort to also place those waste products in the WIPP facility.  As it now stands, whether WIPP will ever reopen is questionable.  Currently, nuclear waste material from the creation and production of the atomic bombs, is scattered over this planet.  (Even so, that material does not include all the radioactive material created by the Nuclear Energy Plants; also a major problem not being addressed.) 

Despite the unaddressed waste-disposal problems, after their development of the various nuclear bombs, scientists went on to create, what they called, "peaceful uses" for that technology, resulting in our electrical energy power plants.  (The wisdom of that decision is still debated.)  Other possible uses for this technology are, no doubt, in the pipeline.

A possible, additional "cost" demanded by this particular, "Piper," could be the devastation of our entire planet, not just the area laid to waste in Japan, and the floating debris resulting from the Fukushima disaster.

With those troubling thoughts, I end this blog.

Shirley Gallup