I know that some of my posts, with regards to U.S. wars and foreign interventions, have, well… let’s say, not been well received by my friends who have been participants in those wars or who are members of the Armed Forces. I would like to explain to you all that I have the utmost respect and even admiration for you all. Probably not for what you may think because it’s not for your service that I admire you but rather for your idealism.
I believe most of you are quite altruistic and truly have had a desire to do just what you swore an oath to do and it’s because of your views of patriotism and desire to serve that you may have a blind spot when it comes to the government that has employed your services. I understand that no one likes it when somebody tries to point out someone else’s blind spot and I know I’m not the most tactful communicator to be sure.
Let me try a different tact. You may be familiar with Major General Smedley Butler. I don’t know if he was the most decorated Marine ever but he was a highly decorated Marine who ultimately became very anti-war and anti-militarism because, as the title of his little book says “War is a Racket”. He came to understand that every war he had ever fought in was not for his country, the Constitution or for the freedom of his fellow citizens. He determined that it was all for money for American Corporate interests and the profits of the manufacturers of the implements of war.
Again, I know nobody wants to be told they’ve been duped but I understand that in the case of military servicemen and women, that in fact, because of their deep devotion to their country, their government is able to take advantage of them and get them to do their bidding or should I say the bidding of corporate interests who are in bed with the government. In fact, if you have listened closely, you have heard them use terminology like “American interests” when describing why they must take military action somewhere halfway around the world. What you have to ask yourself is which American interests do they really mean? They use phrases like, “they are over there protecting all we hold dear over here” or “…defending freedom all over the world” or “defending our Constitution” and many other mantras that are designed to engender patriotism in every red-blooded American. And of course, it works because most Americans have been thoroughly indoctrinated by a school system that is by and large run by… yes, the government.
The government and the military have done a masterful job of convincing most Americans that even if we don’t approve of whatever war they’ve gotten us into, regardless of how bad the outcomes have been and they’ve all been bad, that “we must support our troops” and then they quash anyone who disapproves as being unpatriotic and not supporting our troops. Any time anyone condemns these wars they are committing liable against our troops which is really just a way for them to continue with their interventionist foreign policy and keep the dissenters from being heard and continue on with their military adventurism that has killed hundreds of times more people than we lost in 911.
If you’ve never read “War is a Racket” and you’re currently serving or have served in the military please take the time to do so. It’s a very short read that may give you a new perspective on who you are really serving. In case you do read it I must say that I don’t agree with the Major’s use of the word “capitalism” because what I think he really means is Corporatism and there is a difference. There’s nothing wrong with capitalism but what he is talking about is when the government and the big corporations are lying in the same bed and eating out of the same trough. No matter how many times they try to convince us that it’s for our security or to get the bad guys or our enemies, we need to look at who stands to profit first and foremost.