The headline in the Seattle Times reads: “Military Calls Iran War Plans Routine.” When war planning becomes a “routine” matter you may rest assured that this nation has now come full circle and has become the very “monster” it has always professed to be fighting. Especially in lieu of the fact the wars this nation’s war hawks are planning will be wars of their making; and wars that the neo-con cabal has been planning and looking forward to for the past 15 years, if not longer.
“Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace” is exactly what this nation is being led into by a relatively small group of hard core neo-cons with an army of pundits, religious zealots, corporate greed merchants and “Mayberry Machiavelli’s” comprised of: the Project for a New American Century; the Carlyle Group; the Heritage Foundation; the American Enterprise Institute; the Club for Growth; and the Federalist Society. All of whom are at the head of the BushCo parade attempting to redefine this nation. This is by no means all that comprise the menagerie of megalomaniacs pulling the strings of “government.” But these “groups” are pretty much at the top of the heap of those that “help” formulate what the foreign and domestic policies emanating from the Bush administration and Congress will be.
This isn’t rocket science; just a cursory look at the PNAC’s statements and those coming from the American Enterprise Institute will bear me out on this. In fact the “members” of the PNAC, just a few short years ago were known as the “crazies” throughout Washington, D.C. Now they are dictating U.S. policy, as half the PNAC is the governing body of this country. Cheney, PNAC; Rumsfeld, PNAC; Wolfowitz, PNAC; Leeden, PNAC; Bolton, PNAC; Feith, PNAC; Perle, PNAC—need I go on? Check out this 48 minute video on the Carlyle Group if you want your blood to run cold. The Bush administration, PNAC, Carlyle, the Federalist Society, they are all one in the same for all practical purposes as these people bounce back and forth between them all.
Two and a half years ago we in this nation were “sold” a bill of goods by these people about the absolute “crisis” Iraq posed to the security of the U.S. In a relatively short period of time every single reason articulated by Bush & CO. proved to be one big scam perpetuated upon us by them. As a result of this BushCo war of choice over 100,000 people of Iraq are dead, with 60% of that number being innocent women and children; and over 1,400 U.S. soldiers have been killed , with that number increasing daily (and that number is understated by all accounts).
Now, today, we hear Bush, Condi Rice and the media pundits articulating the very same rhetoric about Iran. This comes as no surprise as the PNAC, which has been a “guiding” force for Bush and his war plans, stated in no uncertain of terms that after Iraq, Iran then on to Syria, and this was said prior to 9/11. Bush/Cheney have been following the PNAC’s play book from day one and I see no reason they will not continue in terms of Iran, but then oil is in this mix also.
One “Crisis” after another says BushCo--when the only “Crisis” is BushCo.
We also are hearing Bush & CO., day after day, articulate one “crisis” after another, all generating non-stop ‘fear’ much the same way the invasion of Iraq was “sold” with fear. The purpose of which is to generate the necessary “manufactured consent” of the American people behind the creation of their “Necessary Illusions.” And the Bush administration has plenty of pundits and PR firms to help in the “sales” campaign.
The “crisis” in Iran; the “crisis” with social security; the “crisis” with lawsuits; the moral values “crisis;” when the only “crisis” this nation faces is the one that has been created by those that are deliberately burying this nation in a level of unsustainable debt. And at the very same time turning the U.S. into a militarized empire/police state, and one great big “third world” cheap pool of labor (which by the way is what they mean when they talk about the U.S. needing to be more “competitive in the global market—cheap labor & no benefits, like health care). We are being led down the same exact economic path as was Argentina when its economy went bust. Now that’s a crisis.
If you want to look at a “crisis” (conspiracy as far as I’m concerned) here’s a good one for you. It started back in the early 90’s when Newt Gingrich was elected to the House of Representatives and became Speaker of the House and he gave the “gift” of the “Contract for America” to the nation. Along with this is the deliberate policy of “Starve the Beast” ala Grover Norquist. Either one of those two involved in government in any way, is a crisis!
What Gingrich and Norquist laid out is in action right now, today, in no uncertain of terms. Gingrich in a recent interview on Hannity and Colmes (who strongly urges Gingrich to run for Prez in 2008—a truly scary thought) stated one of his three main agenda points—getting “God” back in the center of government as a matter of policy. The religious zealots (the American Taliban) love that one, and it is currently being articulated in congress.
“Starve the Beast” is up and running full steam ahead—it’s a deliberate policy of creating deficits so large that the government will be forced into cutting programs across the country. Bush and Company has that one down to an art form. And the programs that will be cut—essentially all social safety net programs are on the chopping block: social security, V.A. health care and benefits to veterans, Medicaid, education, state block grants, all those things that were put into place to be of help to those in this nation that “free market capitalism” leaves behind.
It is the entitlement programs these people view as a threat to democracy, freedom and liberty because according to “them,” these programs have created a “socialist welfare state” redistributing wealth downward. At least that is how the people running this nation, our so-called “elected representatives” view this. I guess a type of feudal system would be more to their liking with all us good little “serfs” doing as we’re told, and fighting their wars. John Jay and Alexander Hamilton always did say, “The people who own the country ought to rule the country.” Not much seems to have changed does it?
A look at the Bush budget for 2006 will bear this out as 150 so-called “unnecessary” government programs are to axed or have significant fund reductions and all the while the deficits will go higher. And while the poor get poorer, as programs are cut there will still be plenty of funding for the war department. The ‘crisis” we are faced with is what the militarization of the nation, under direction of BushCo, is creating and costing us: socially, economically, politically, morally and especially in terms of the cost to people’s daily lives in a hundred different ways as a result of this BushCo war of choice in Iraq.
So while Bush and company keep rattling their sabers and threatening nations around the globe, “our way or we blow you to hell and back” or at least threaten it, the European Union, China, Russia, Venezuela, Iran, Brazil and a few other countries are starting to counter U.S. polices and threats with economic warfare of sorts.
See how much Bush and Company have accomplished in 5 years. Just keep in mind that if this country does not changes its direction, we will end as all other empires have ended—with an over-extended military, and the economy in the toilet; good-bye noble experiment called America. As a matter of fact, our military is already over-extended and we are in serious economic hot-water. In the meantime we have a lot of people in uniform whose lives are being destroyed behind lies, cons and deception. Being told to kill, or be killed. The cost of war is just too high a price to pay at any time, let alone as now, behind lies, disinformation and deception.
A Cost of Militarization and War
Some people are starting to see thru some of the disinformation and lies of Bush & Co, that includes those in uniform on active duty, some of whom have been to Iraq and seen the Bush war of “freedom and democracy” up close and too personal. They have come away from it knowing that war and all its barbaric inhumanity, especially when war is propelled by selfishness and greed, more commonly know as “national interest/national security” is not an answer to or for anything. The worst part is finding out after the fact you went to war for lies—those are bad “demons” to live with.
No longer is this nation content with having a defense force. The Bush bunch has transformed it into a military of aggression. And in the process this nation has become the monster it has professed to be fighting. People on active duty in the military are seeing this, objecting to it, and in a lot of cases are saying “no, I won’t go!” Sgt Kevin Benderman, Darrell Anderson, Adam Mowery, Carl Webb, are but four—however, the list goes on, and on, increasing almost daily. War-resisters, one and all.
Over 5,500 active duty military have gone AWOL rather than be participants in the war in Iraq. In fact there is a growing number of active duty military that have been to Iraq once and now, after coming home, have become war-resisters.
22 year old Darrell Anderson is one such young man. After enlisting in January 2003, mainly to have money for college (sound familiar?) and in fact, according to Darrell, “I was ready to die for my country.” After being sent to Iraq and seeing this war as a participant he began to change. He began to see the utter futility of war and he began to see thru the rhetoric of why he was there. Then in April, 2004, he was wounded by a roadside bomb.
Three months later, in July, he was sent back home. His mother, Anita, said Darrell seemed fine when he came home, but was deeply changed when he returned home again on leave for Christmas. "He paced the floor constantly, never once slept through the night," Anita Anderson said of her son. "He would get up in the middle of the night and go out walking. He was having nightmares; he was depressed; he couldn't even watch a movie."
According to Darrell, in early April he was ordered to shoot at a car full of people moving in his direction, which Darrell would not do. "This car kept coming, and the other guys were yelling, 'Why don't you shoot, why don't you shoot?' But I felt the car posed no threat. Then, the window of the car rolled down, and it was just an Iraqi family," Anderson said. "I said, 'Look it's just innocent people.' But they kept telling me, 'The next time, you open fire. We don't care."' A few days later Darrell was wounded by a roadside bomb.
When Darrell was notified about going back to Iraq, he said no and went to Canada. “They call me a deserter but it is not me that deserted; it’s my country that deserted its morals and been over taken by greed. When a country (like ours) makes all its decisions based on money it has no compassion for the people in which their heartless decisions affect. I was willing to die to defend my country but they lied to me about what I was doing I was sent to kill Innocent people and die my self just so the rich could protect their investments. How long will the world stand by and let this unjust war go on how many young poor kids will die for the rich. Bush wants to set up a democracy in Iraq when we don't have one in the states; we have a plutocracy, a Government ruled by the rich. We as Americans have to open are eyes and question the country we have been raised to trust and it’s time to stand up and say I will not be a tool of destruction any more.”
As Darrell told me over the phone, “Why should I have to face time in jail just because I do not want to fight in a war? I’m not the one who has done anything wrong.” He is now pegged as a criminal by the U.S. military, which is the real “criminal” in this mix.
What the U.S. military is doing to some of its own is criminal. What the military is doing, directed by the Bush administration, is a direct result of the militarization of this nation as well as its plans for more wars—did someone say Iran?
To Conclude This Now
Thanks to the Bush cabal, we have a war in Afghanistan, a war in Iraq, an almost war in Venezuela and the Philippines, war drums beating for Iran and who knows what other country will be next on the BushCo/PNAC/Carlyle Group hit list.
At the very same time, the Bush cabal, along with burying the country in a mountain of debt that will last decades, is rolling back all public safety net programs for the old, sick, veterans, and children; as well as increasing the level of secrecy under which they operate, and they are criminalizing dissent. He preaches freedom and democracy around the world and destroys it here. “Free speech zones,” give me a break!
The military is stretched so thin due to the Bush policies and war mongering it is now calling back to active duty people who have been out for years in some cases. Single mom with babies who has been out for 5 years, called back up; 20 year old kid with herniated disks in the neck while on active duty, sent back to Iraq anyway; people like Adam Mowery who the Army discharged due to a significant back injury, now being called back up. There is a long list of those in similar situations.
The Bush cabals “preemptive wars” are creating a growing number of PTSD cases (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) who are ending up in jail, committing suicide and in some cases, killing their families, wives and girlfriends—here in Oregon, just a couple of days ago a veteran of the Bush war in Iraq was sent to prison for 2nd degree murder; he suffers from PTSD—he killed his girlfriend.
With cuts to the V.A. (Veterans Administration) where will these people go for treatment when they come back home? Or does anyone care? I really wonder about that a lot when it takes veterans 20, 30 and 35 years to finally get “proper” treatment from this government as it did with those of us that went to Vietnam.
Every day the Bush cabal is in charge of this country it starts looking more and more like the old Soviet Union, where the “state” reigns supreme. This is not what we are supposed to be, or about! At one time we were somewhat of a humanitarian nation, where the “rule of law” reigned—no longer, as Bush and company have transformed all that. They have turned “democracy” into a cheap cliché in just 4 years!
If we do not find a way of taking this country back, this country will go the way of all empires—collapse in on top of itself. The other nations of the world are starting to stand against this country as never before and we had best pay attention.
It took massive non-stop acts of civil disobedience 30+ years ago to finally bring the Vietnam War to an end—I do believe that must be considered a viable action today. If the Bush bunch is not stopped, this nation is doomed--We, nor the rest of the world, cannot handle any more of the Bush Brigade of neo-con hawks who want to rule the world, as evidenced by their own words.
By: Jack Dalton
www.OpEdNews.com
Jack Dalton is a disabled Vietnam veteran, activist, writer and co-editor of the Project for the Old American Century http://oldamericancentury.org/index.htm
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