DO WE REALLY HAVE TO GO TO WAR, DADDY?

                                       Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Given that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different outcome each time. Is the United States of America ready to re-engage the Mideast in armed conflict, again? (We can’t even seem to call it “war” anymore.) Haven’t we learned anything from our latest fiasco in the desert? From the sound-bytes coming out of Washington, DC, it certainly seems we will never learn from our mistakes. I thought the Viet Nam War was supposed to teach us all we needed to know about open-ended, limited engagement, conflicts without any exit strategy, or end game.

A new Century, a new part of the World, and we find ourselves mired in the quicksand of the Mideast deserts among tribal communities who have been at war with each other for thousands of years. We find ourselves, once again, without an exit strategy, or an end game, and on the verge of being sucked into ground combat in the very near future. What could possibly go wrong?

I need to make one thing very clear, right up front. The National Media, both electronic and print, have taken the American Public for a bunch of ignorant fools. The “facts” they so easily string together make absolutely no sense when placed in the same sentence, or argument. The “facts” they so easily string together are not, indeed, facts. Most of what is spewed over the airwaves and in the papers is total fabrication. What is amazing, to me, is that these fabrications are so transparent if their attempts to foster one editorial position, or another.

When the President of the United States says that he will not commit ground troops to a renewed engagement in the Mideast, you cannot tell the American Public that the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces is overriding that statement by saying he “envisions” there could be a day when ground troops would be a necessary commitment. The President is the Commander-in-Chief, and what he says goes; no matter what. The Chief of Staff is simply stating a military possibility that needs to be considered,; even if not used. I do have a bone to pick with the President, however. He tells the American Public that there are no “combat” troops currently being sent to the Iraq; they are only behind the scenes advisors. I harken back to 1956, when President Eisenhower told us that he was only sending “advisors” to South Viet Nam. Does anyone remember how that worked out? Another bone I have to pick with the President and the Press is that they have both insulted the American Soldier by referring to them as “boots-on-the-ground”. If you can’t respect the men and women, you send off to war. Perhaps you don’t have the right to do so in the first place. These men and women are not simply a bunch of boots on anybody’s ground. They form the backbone of the American Dream and the American Democracy, so don’t ever disrespect them; what they do for you, they do willingly. And, one more bone to pick with the Press. When you are good enough to seek commentary from a recent Veteran, or an Active Duty member, please save a few seconds of your precious time to thank them for their Service to their Country. By skipping by that part of the program, you are, once again, showing your total disrespect for our men and women in Uniform. (note to newscasters: Our Military men and women are the only reason you folks have the liberty to do what you do, night in and night out.) And, please, all of you, stop lying to us. We’re not that stupid, and we see right through you for who you are and what you’re trying to do. One little caveat to the American People. Wake up, folks, your Country is being yanked from under you and only you have the power to set things straight, again. You know who you are!

Now, getting back to the Mideast, would someone please pick up an elementary school history book on this the part of the World? No fewer than five “Empires” have tried to conquer and occupy this region. To date, no one has succeeded. I realize that there are some in this Country who just can’t understand why those Arabs over there won’t take to our style of governance. Why wouldn’t they want the very best the West has to offer in societal, political, and economic systems? We can show them the way to their salvation through democracy and capitalism; it’s so easy. Apparently, the folks who have been running our Foreign Policy for past eighty years have neglected to pay attention to history, and have, instead, been bent on spreading American Exceptionalism throughout the World. We seem to just love that “Nation Building” thing. When does this Country wake up and realize that there aren’t a lot of people who think the same way we do. They have a very different view on the meaning of Religion in their lives. They have a very different value system for their society; they like their tribal hierarchies. And, most of all, they don’t like to be told what to do by people who don’t understand them. And, history will prove me right, they don’t like being told what to do by people who do understand them. They’ve been warring among themselves for thousands of years, and they don’t trust one another, either.

So, I ask the question, “What are we doing over there, and why would we want to go back for more?” I don’t think our Government has the answer to that. I am inclined to think that the Military/Industrial Complex has the answer, and they aren’t talking. Maybe our most favorite dick, President Cheeney, could shed some light on the problem. What say you, Dick?

Why do we go to war ?

- a primer on the mechanisms that enable us to constantly enter armed conflict without thought or planning.

Having been to war, and having had the privilege of returning home in one piece, the question of why our society so eagerly participates in armed conflict haunts me every day. Trying to answer this question is a lot like trying to construct the mosaic of a huge jig-saw puzzle. As with a large jig-saw puzzle, you tend to dwell first on the picture of the finished product; most normally on the top face of the box the puzzle comes in. You look for features that might make it easier to find and place the correct pieces in the correct spots. Then, you open the box, and hope that all the pieces are there.

Most of the puzzles I have encountered have begun their construction by first finding the corner pieces. This is followed by trying to lay out the four sides of the puzzle. Then you generally look for remarkable sets of pieces close to the perimeter, and start building inward toward the center. In doing this, you find that there are segments of a puzzle that stand out more than others; it’s a visual thing. What you are doing with this puzzle is precisely what is done in properly planning and constructing a strategy when you are contemplating going to war.

Planning for war, going to war, and coping with the aftermath are the tedious regimens similar to constructing the middle sections of that jig-saw puzzle. You set forth the most obvious categories, fine tune them, and then link them in a way that will give you the best chance for success. This gives you the “how”, the “when”, the “where”, and the “what”, but I does not give you the “why”.

To even start to grasp the “why” of “why we go to war”, it helps to consider our Nation’s rather bellicose nature from our Revolutionary War to the present war in Afghanistan and the re-occurrence of the war in Iraq. Up through most of the Vietnam War, our government and our society was in reasonably coherent agreement on the need to engage. By 1975, our government and our society started taking totally divergent courses when the question of entering armed conflict came up as a National discussion.

So, what happened in the mid-70’s? It is my contention that, from 1969 to 1975, our government began to have an increasing fear of the American public. As a result of this fear, our government began an arduous journey into the land of secrecy and deceit. Over the course of the twenty years following the Vietnam war, the CIA, the NSA, the FBI, and, eventually, the 12 other National Security Agencies had the veil of immunity, anonymity, and secrecy draped over them by all three branches of government; the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch. You can throw the Supreme Court into that mix, as well. At the same time, our Captains of Industry discovered new-found wealth and profit in a planned continuance of the Military/Industrial Complex. With the advent of giant leaps in technology and  the “M/I C” on steroids, our Nation’s war production was probably the most lucrative business to be involved with starting in the late 1970’s; Richard Bruce Cheney certainly thought so.

With both these factors in place and operating on all cylinders, it was relatively easy to commit our Military anywhere in the World. And, you guessed it, that’s exactly what happened. So, the question of “why” starts off with the fact that it was easy and hugely profitable. Coincidentally, there was a societal and philosophical sea change in our National identity.  The “me” generation became thoroughly ensconced in everyday life, and that seemed to lead very quickly to what was coined as “American Exceptionalism”. If we revisit the box with the jig-saw puzzle in it, it looks as if we develop our decisions to engage in precisely the exact way we choose to construct the puzzle. Consider the box itself as the Military/Industrial Complex. Consider the picture on the top of that box to hold all the secret nuances of rationalization and justification. Consider the choice to purchase the box with the puzzle in it as our own “American Exceptionalism”. This could just as easily be stated in reverse by hi-lighting the decision to purchase in the first place.

That’s a lot to chew on in one sitting. Make it a little more digestible by looking at the decision to purchase the box, the box itself, and the picture on top. If, for instance, you take away the need, or urge, to purchase the box, the question is mute, and you don’t engage. Of the three stated aspects prior to opening the box, changing the “Exceptionalism” and arrogance of the American psyche may prove to be the most achievable. You are not going to put a halt to the advancements in technology. You are, most likely, not going to stifle the obscene and profitable war production of this Country. Changing how we look at the rest of the World might be of immediate consideration, and reasonably doable. Dropping the words exceptional and arrogance form our National identity might just show the rest of the World that we will be willing to lead by example, not military force. Consider the respect our Country would regain if we chose to be a true leader, instead of a constant conqueror. Most of us, at one time or another, has voiced a preference for peace on this planet. Perhaps the United States could start the ball rolling in that direction, and do it very soon.

This little essay all began with an all-consuming passion to stop our government from making more Veterans. We obviously can’t take care of the ones we have currently, so tell where the logic is in making new ones. Also, this concept of “nation building” has my head spinning and my shorts in a knot. I ask you, “Who the Hell are we to tell people from any other sovereign Country how to run their government, their economy, and, ultimately, their society?” I don’t think anyone can provide a solid argument for that kind of mentality.

 Saturday, June 28, 2014

from the desk of: We The Peeps 1 
( http://wethepeeps1.blogspot.com/ )