Self-destruction of the U.S. Military
Ron Paul blames reckless warmongering on the staggering rates of drug abuse and suicide in the U.S. Military:
With regards to drug abuse, Paul explained, “The truth is, killing strangers in unconstitutional and senseless wars causes guilt to the participant no matter what kind of military indoctrination is attempted. Those afflicted may attempt to bury the pain in alcohol or drugs or other destructive behaviors, but we see that only leads to more problems. It may not be popular to point this out, but it goes against human nature to kill a fellow human being for retaliating against those who initiate a war of aggression on their soil.”How much does the military medicate its personnel?
[I]n 2011, the Pentagon spent more on pharmaceutical drugs and injections than Black Hawk helicopters, Abrams tanks, Hercules C-130 cargo planes and Patriot missiles combined. Since 2002, the government has spent $5 billion on Lipitor, Plavix, Advair, Nexium and Singulair.” Schwartz also noted, ““The military spent at least $2.7 billion on antidepressants and more than $1.6 billion on opioid painkillers such as Oxycontin and hydrocodone over the past decade.