“War is the greatest plague that can afflict humanity; it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families.” – Martin Luther.
There are about 600,000 troops who have come home from Afghanistan and Iraq, with brain damage from concussions gotten from exploding ammunition, roadside bombs, and explosives of all types. X-rays of brains of soldiers, shows an alarming decay, which can cause all types of behavior common to vets, which causes marriage breakups, inability to hold a job, or other common problems, unfortunately common to veterans. Hundreds of thousands of Vietnam vets suffer from prolonged damage from Agent Orange, and the millions of vets who have nightmares of their combat duty, is inestimable. A friend of mine was in the navy and was shot down, and captured. He survived, but his nerves are shot and his dreams are not pleasant.
“What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world.” – Robert E. Lee.
On a Sunday talk show, John McCain urged us to get into a war with Syria. Whose side would we be on Senator? The murderer Assad, or maybe the militant Islamists who are challenging him? Was there a reason to go into Libya, Iraq, or Afghanistan? Or are the wars, maybe as Thomas Paine said in 1791, “Each government accuses the other of perfidy, intrigue, and ambition, as a means of heating the imagination of their respective nations, and incensing them to hostilities. Man is not the enemy of man, but through the medium of a
false system of government.” From “The Rights of Man.”
Was America threatened when North Korea invaded South? Was America threatened when North Vietnam, invaded South Vietnam? Was America threatened by Iraq or Afghanistan? Or is all the war ranting and raving, the result of politico’s empty speeches, who usually have not been in wars, and many times have managed to keep their children out of them? I am different than the typical ’conservative,’ because I want neutrality, not constant war making and threatening to North Korea, or maybe Iran. Iran wouldn’t dare to launch an atomic bomb anywhere, as they know it would be their total end. Same with North Korea. If we brought all the troops home, stationed them on the Mexican border, and then and only then, discussed a program for illegals, that might make sense.
They hate us, not because of our fake prosperity, but because we have over a hundred bases around the world, and have invaded their lands with out troops! WHY DOESN’T ANYONE SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THIS???
The machinery of war, takes men and women, gives them arms with which to fight, tells them the enemy is the Afghans or whoever, while the other side tells their troops we’re the enemy and evil. Just think of the dollar’s value today, if we had stopped fighting at the end of WW II in 1945. That war doubled consumer prices.. Making planes, ships, tanks, guns, bullets, uniforms, and vehicles to fight wars, DOES NOT HELP THE ECONOMY. IT CREATES INFLATION, BECAUSE IT IS ALL PAID FOR WITH PAPER MONEY, AND NO PROFIT IS SHOWN. There may be a profit for arms, tanks, and plane producers, but the result is death and huge debts, and all from the public treasury. A producer of washing machines, contributes to the economy, whereas arms paid for with public debt contributes nothing. The human tragedies as a result of America’s foolish, expensive wars, is indescribable.
No government expenditure at any level, helps the economy. Civilized people decided that they wanted a postal service, police and fire departments, and public streets. Beauty was added, when towns and cities planted trees, and lit the streets. Traffic lights eased traffic flow, and traffic laws made streets and highways safer. Drink drivers needed to be stopped and punished, and signs identifying streets and highways were proven to be nice. Taxes on fuel paid for highways, and that was about it, believe iot or not. The federal government was supposed to be miniscule, and the Constitution gives no permission to regulate anything. Wars were only by a majority vote of the Congress, and there is no provision for a Presidential “Cabinet,” nor “Czars.” Until FDR came into power, there were far fewer departments, and the so-called “Federal Triangle” in Washington D.C. which is roughly between 14th St N.W., Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues Northwest, and the point at which the avenues meet, held all the bureaucracy that FDR created. Since then, bureaucracy has spread all over suburban Virginia and Maryland, plus eaten up huge amounts of Washington D.C., which has become the richest city and suburbs in the world, for all practical purposes. Rich, because of outrageous, overpowering, unconstitutional government.
It’s so far out of control, and the debt is so huge, that it is impossible to be paid, other than with printing press money. This means that hyper-inflation is on the way, and possibly a wholesale revolt of the armed citizenry, if the process continues. Where to go? I’m thinking Texas, which I understand already has a million plus signatures approving secession. Why does Texas need D.C.? They don’t. Texas has plenty of oil, sunshine, ports, industry, agriculture, and of course TEXANS. (Don’t mess with Texas).. Would there be a war on Texas if she seceded? I doubt it, because Texans would fight again, as at the Alamo, only they would win, like they did after the Alamo at San Jacinto. I have a tee shirt with the Lone Star flag imposed on it, and it reads SECEDE. I hear they’re selling quite well.
We won WW II, and have lost all the rest. In Afghanistan, it’s become a joke, spending lots of dollars, and accomplishing absolutely nothing, other than having police we trained, shoot us in the back, and roadside bombs killing U.S. soldiers. Heroin addiction and total corruption best describes Afghanistan, after ten years of our messing around in it. It is the radical Muslims that plant roadside bombs, and self immolate themselves for instant paradise and countless virgins, not Christians, or Jews. In the ten plus years spent in Iraq and Afghanistan, has anything been accomplished, other than bankrupting us and witnessing the lies proffered by politicians? They said the Iraq squabble was would be paid for with oil profits. Where are the profits? The Sunnis still kill the Shiites, and blow up their restaurants, government buildings, and Mosques. What has been accomplished? In Afghanistan, month after month, and year after year, nothing is done but more deaths and hatred by everyone. The Pakistanis now are erecting a fence and protecting their borders, and we have been denied entrance through Pakistan of our equipment. Who cares? Get the hell out NOW, bring everyone home, and declare absolute neutrality. Chemicals used in Syria? Who cares? It’s none of our business. How can the D.C. gang, continue to tell us of ’progress’ in Afghanistan, and speak of ’peace’ in Iraq? How can any politician, continue to appropriate paper dollars for endless wars? “The peaceful are the strong,” – Oliver Wendell Holmes.
If you really like history, find a 2003 paperback titled “FDR’S FOLLY.” It will be long remembered if you get it and read it.