Tax dollars at work

[Update below]

Tony Schumacher won the US National top fuel dragster competition. This is not the interesting aspect of the story, however. At least, not to me.

What is interesting to me is that fact that the vehicle, Schumacher and his crew are sponsored by the US Army, which runs the fastest quarter mile car in the nation. I'm not entirely sure how the US Army justifies this expense to Congress, which must run in the millions. Perhaps they advertise it to the simps on Capitol Hill as an effective recruiting tool. Or perhaps they don't tell Congress at all -- I doubt anyone in Congress hangs out in the crowd, watching drag racing. Perhaps it is funded through some black budget. However the expense is justified, I doubt the numbnuts in the crowd rush out to sign up for Iraq after Tony rips out a 4.575s quarter mile.

In the winner's circle, Schumacher is surrounded by US Army soldiers in full combat fatigues, just to add an air of the authoritarian military machine to the scene. All of it was a surprise to me.

Whatever is happening here, it is clearly not good and further indicates the continuing onslaught of military idolization that has been on view since the Bush wars began. Anything, any expense is now justified by the Defense Department. And to US taxpayers, now so numbed by unbridled military spending and the attendant future debt, laying down a few more million so that cheering crowds can watch Tony Schumacher hit 331.94 mph in winning the US Nationals top fuel competition appears to be of no concern at all. It seems not to register. And no one, as far as I can see, questions any of this.

Is this a great country or what?

Update: This guy seems pissed, too.