For years, I have been harping about “Neutrality,” and I even wrote a chapter about it in a book I wrote over 20 years ago, (1998). Never, has there been a more sensible thing to do, than to be like Switzerland, and be absolutely neutral. Here’s parts of that 1998 chapter, and see if it doesn’t make sense today.
“The first time America ceased to be neutral, and sent troops overseas, was in 1898. Cuba was the battleground in the pointless Spanish American War, which began in 1895. Teddy Roosevelt assembled his “Rough Riders,” and charged up “San Juan Hill,” helping to free Cuba from Spanish rule. President William McKinley asked Congress for a declaration of war after the battleship Maine was blown up in Havana Harbor. “Remember the Maine,” was the popular song, even though Spain had already agreed to our demands on Cuba. He demanded, and got the Philippines for $20,000,000, even though the filipinos wanted no parts of either Spain or America. This began our policy of “Spread Eagle,” meaning our American Eagle’s power would be spread around the world.. How tragic!” That’s the first paragraph. Here are some quotes from others.
“America, currently has 163 embassies around the world. (more now?) Wouldn’t about 15 be enough? Why do we need to have an embassy in every pip squeak, patch of dirt around the world? Why do we have to spend billions, maintaining ’diplomatic relations’ with every squalid, pestilence infested, starving, puny dictatorship around the globe? There are tens of thousands of troops stationed in various areas of the Pacific, to protect Japan, our actual economic enemy, or ’competitor,’ if that word displeases you. The Japanese are rich, and can defend themselves. Bring the troops home! We have over 100,000 troops in Europe, for heaven only knows what reasons, but Europe hasn’t been in a war for over 50 years, and can defend themselves. Bring the troops home! There are 10,000 troops in Bosnia. Who ever heard the name “Bosnia,” or “Kosovo,” before devious Bill Clinton placed them there to fight a three way civil war between three nationalities, who all hate each other, and have for 5,000 years? Bosnia will cost American taxpayers maybe $10 billion before it’s all over, if it ever is. Bring the troops home! Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn if all the Hutus kill all the Tutsis, or vice versa. Don’t send troops there. A close friend of mine is 100% Croatian, and his solution is to give them all a gun and may the best side win. I wasn’t up nights being sorrowful over the decline of India or Pakistan, from a former unified, civilized land under civilized rule, and I feel the same about all the former British colonies that have gone the way of all flesh, after their civilizing influence was voted out.
“There was little reason for us to enter WW I, as it was almost over before we got into it. A heinous crime by Woodrow Wilson. Vietnam cost us 59,000 American lives, and Korea 53,000, both pointless, and needless. Robert Strange McNamara, Secretary of Defense under LBJ, in his 1995 book, “In Retrospect,” admitted the war was a huge mistake, and that “We were terribly wrong on Vietnam.” Was this carnage necessary? Has it really been necessary for us to fight in two world wars, plus Korea, Vietnam, and others? Couldn’t Hitler have been defeated by Europe after being crippled by defeat in Russia? The Kaiser was for all practical purposes already defeated before we entered World War One, which was called “The war to end all wars. Switzerland declared its independence and neutrality in 1291.” That is but a tenth of that chapter on neutrality, I wrote in 1998, but how about today?
We are being strangled with debts, crippled returning servicemen and women, as well as suicides. Last year, there were more armed forces suicides (350) than died in combat in Afghanistan. The Afghan police we are ’training,’ several times have shot their American trainers, in the back, so grateful are they for their training. There is no reason in the world for us to be in Afghanistan, nor Iraq. George Bush, who got the “Patriot Act” passed, and got us into those two wars, should never be idolized by Republicans. America, thanks to endless wars and Washington D.C. hypocrisy, lies, irresponsibility, and fiscal bankruptcy, not to mention the incessant K St. lobbying influences on foolish Congress, is but a shadow of what the Founders intended. Washington D.C., thanks to Edward Snowden, and Wicki Leaks, has become a laughing stock around the world, but we still think we are its policeman, and spend taxpayer money, as well as dollar crippling printing press money to the arms, tank, plane, bullet, bomb, and every other manufacturer of any war thing used to harm others. America is being totally crippled by the military-industrial complex, and idiotic legislator, who love to tell us how our servicemen and women are ’protecting us’ 15,000 miles away. How absurd!
If we were neutral, gave no advice, no protection, and minded our own business (MYOB), the size of government would shrink by probably 50%. The word ’terrorism’ in our daily use, would virtually disappear, since no US troops would never be in a Muslim nation. Israel can defend itself, and we have two oceans between us and Europe or the Orient. The troops would be on the Mexican border when they came home home, and that would end millions coming here illegally. Like I said in the previous column, if anyone can tell me of a Christian or Jewish male group than maims and kills like Muslim males, I’d print it. No one has. Now, I’d like to know what possible objection there could be to absolute neutrality for America. Tell me, please.
As far as metals prices, I really do believe that they are at or lower than the cost of mining, milling, smelting, manufacturing, and distributing them in finished coin and bar form. The big boys have manipulated metals prices with futures contracts now for far too long, and all the ’naked shorts’ will come home to roost, I am sure. Meanwhile, regardless of price, gold and silver are the only real money in the world. Gold and silver went through a ’bubble,’ just like housing, and like housing, will rise in the future and make every possessor of them very glad.