Quick bump: Pier to nowhere
The US military has given up on the ill-fated pier it built on the Gaza shoreline. This wasn't just a debacle. It was something worse.
The pier facilitated only around 2,000 tons of aid. That is roughly 2% of what Gaza requires on a monthly basis. It was a drop in the bucket, but with a staggering price tag.
The pier cost at least $230 million – roughly a quarter billion dollars. On average, each ton of aid cost over $100,000. If you are unfamiliar with freight transportation, this rate is LUDICROUS.
In spite of the minuscule impact and exorbitant cost, the US military's spokesman declared the "mission was successful". This is worse than lacking accountability, it's gaslighting.
The most irksome part is the pier was unlawful. The Constitution specifies the federal government's powers. Nowhere does it say the government has authority to engage in acts of foreign aid. The government's pier violated the Constitution.
A free society does not allow its government to engage in foreign boondoggles in violation of its laws. Americans allow it frequently.
