It is nice that some military people say they can do with less money and accomplish THE SAME OBJECTIVES; however, we aren't going to get very far if we buy into what they consider "defense." Once you buy into their argument of what "defense" consists of you buy into this worthless militarism requiring huge amounts of senseless military spending. We might better take our resources and just toss them into the ocean--- at least no one dies.
This country has no defense needs beyond our own borders; we don't even have any right saying we have to have our military anyplace else in the world. We have no right establishing a military budget based upon servicing and maintaining over 800 military operations and bases on foreign soil or waters not our own.
We have no neighbors posing any military threat to this country; nor would Canada or Mexico be capable of mounting any kind of military invasion against us even if they wanted to... but they don't want to and never will... these countries will be our friends forever... they are good neighbors (even though they must have to really bend at times to remain our friends).
"Terrorism" is being held up as the big threat to this country, now... no one, no matter how powerful their military is safe from terrorism... international cooperation based upon justice and respect for all peoples is the only defense against terrorism.
I don't think there is a country in the world where the populace is so well armed as in the United States... and, judging from the patriotic fervor we see in this country any country attempting to evade would be fools.
If we didn't produce a single new weapon in the next fifty years we would still have too many weapons of war.
All military production should be taken out of the hands of private corporations and production of weapons for our own safety and savings (and military profiteering) should take place in government enterprises--- take away the profits from so-called "defense spending" and this insane militaristic drive will end very rapidly. The merchants of death and destruction have no friends other than those come bearing cash.
A sane and just U.S. foreign policy which would end all arms shipments and military subsidies to Israel would eliminate the threat from Israel very quickly... in fact, Israel's leaders would sober up very fast and confront the reality that Palestinians are actually human beings who are entitled by birth like everyone to have the right to live with respect and dignity.
Apparently we have so many weapons already that we can't even store them so they are being "stored" in Israel.
This is not so much about "how much" we spend on the military as it is about what the military is for and what U.S. foreign policy is and should be. If we have a sane, sensible foreign policy based on justice where peace and respect for all peoples is the primary objective we can pretty much end all defense spending except that required to maintain a military right here within our own borders.
There is only one reason we have over 800 military bases and military operations dotting the globe; and that is to protect Wall Street's interests: cheap labor and cheap natural resources.
Why else would there be this horrible School of the Americas to train every two-bit, half-assed fascist dictator in the world to suppress and put down their own people?
Every single penny spent on war and militarism robs us of resources we need to solve our many social problems right here in the United States... sometimes I wonder what country (even what planet) some of these people are living on when they talk about spending billions and trillions of dollars on militarism, wars and subsequent occupations of countries.
Do they not understand the massive poverty we have in this country; the people forced to go without health care and child care as our infrastructure largely built up through New Deal programs crumbles?
Have these people never taken the time to ask: How is this war economy working for us?
Do they really not understand that militarism and wars kill jobs, just like these wars kill people?
Do they not understand that this militarism and wars impoverish us as a people and as a nation?
We need to initiate a full debate in this country as we go into the 2012 Elections and beyond--- a debate feared by both Republicans and Democrats: What should be the objective of American foreign policy? Does our security lie in weapons systems or does our security lie in justice for all peoples?
We have all heard the chant: No justice; no peace!
Well, either this is true, or it isn't. Why shout this chant at peace demonstrations if peace relies on military might and strength? If we are going to buy into the argument that we can get the same militarism and same wars and same occupations of countries for a cheaper price, why even bother talking about peace?
These military people are talking about saving money; but, are they talking about peace?
Alan L. Maki
No comments:
Post a Comment