Benjamin Franklin once said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” The preservation of money is often viewed as a core principle of conservative ideology. To live within one’s means and avoid unnecessary debt are common refrains used by conservatives to emphasize what they believe is the proper way to live.
Although I do not agree with all of his core principles, Ronald Reagan often spoke about reducing wasteful government spending. The logic behind this view is straightforward: governments should exercise caution with spending, avoid large debt burdens, and protect the hard-earned money of taxpayers.
Frugality is a virtue. A glutton for money is someone who lives beyond his or the country’s means and wastes precious resources on unnecessary expenditures. According to free-market conservative thought, savings and capital accumulation are essential to long-term prosperity. Economists such as Milton Friedman argued that responsible financial behavior and market incentives tend to lead toward sustained, long term economic success.
After examining recent expenditures, I understand the need to spend last minute funds in a use it or lose it situation, but I am dumbfounded on the frivolous spending by Hegseth and the Department of War on food and material items not used for efforts related to the military. One hopes that the food expenditures went to food services to the entire military to nourish them. As one takes a closer look, the food expenditures were only a fraction of the money spent, most of it went to thousands of military contractors like Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Boeing. Hegseth spent $50 billion in September, a fraction of the 960 billion spent on the defense budget.
Yet I find myself conflicted. I do not wish to question my government’s existence or its purpose, but I do question its ethics and fiscal responsibility. As I examine the budget of the Department of Defense, I often see spending that appears lavish and far beyond what seems necessary for the defense of the nation. At times it feels as though careful consideration of taxpayer money has been lost, while attention is directed away from helping those in this country who genuinely need assistance. To spend millions on excess while cutting programs that feed hungry children feels like a disservice to the American people at home.
As a fiscally conservative man, I try my hardest to live within my means and to practice frugality while pursuing the American dream. The principles of conservative ideology are a foundation upon which I stand. A nation, like a household, can only survive through careful and disciplined stewardship of its resources. When those who claim these principles justify actions that appear to defy them, it leaves me uncertain about what to think.
In the end, I return to Franklin’s simple wisdom: a penny saved is a penny earned.
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