Don’t get the idea from the title of this post that I’ve changed my politics, because you’d be very wrong. Since Veteran’s Day is this week, I decided this is an appropriate opportunity to suggest that the country truly honor veterans in a way that goes beyond the tokenism of parades, speeches, etc.
And that would be for the public, especially the pathetic politicians, to recognize that the government shouldn’t be sending soldiers into harm’s way in the willy nilly way it has been doing for over 50 years . Common sense suggests before asking soldiers to sacrifice life, limb and/or sanity, there is no shadow of a doubt that it is absolutely necessary.
But politics is not about common sense. And war is the extension of politics by other means. And politics is all about posturing.
Since the posturing politicians making the decisions are unlikely to have any of their own children in the military, is it any wonder the decision is often for war? What do you think the decision would be if there was a law that every military age son and daughter of every Congressional representative supporting war would be sent to the front lines? Exactly….
Since 1945, when politicians of both parties anointed this country as the world’s policeman, there has been little consideration for the military. The Chicken Little politicians have regularly sent the military into situations where there was no real threat to country’s survival.
Let’s begin with the most recent “Big Three.” Viet Nam fell and the “best and brightest” were proved to be morons when the rest of the Southeast Asian dominoes did not fall. Iraq was invaded and no WMDs were found, so remember that the next time a President presents a “slam dunk” case for another military intervention. As for Afghanistan, even noted conservative George Will says it’s time to get the heck out.
I don’t know how many billions have gone done the sinkholes of Iraq and Afghanistan. Nor do I want to know. I’ll leave it to others to think about how those billions could have been used in this country. (Or, not used… producing a lower national debt, which just might help the economy.)
Then, there’s way too many minor interventions to detail. But Bosnia is a good example of needless meddling. That was nothing more than a “feel good” folly. I don’t care who ethnically cleanses whom; it is no threat to this country. (Interestingly, when it was ethnic cleansing in Rwanda, this country’s attitude was that it was a problem to be solved by Africa. So why was not Bosnia a problem to be solved by Europe?)
When I say “America First” it is a reference to the isolationist America First Committee which opposed U. S. involvement in World War II. Both Gerald Ford and John F. Kennedy supported the America First Committee.
I am a staunch isolationist. When the President goes on TV to explain why this country’s soldiers need to be sent to BFE “in the national interest”, we need to say: “You lie!” But, the public keeps falling for the deceit, so President after President keeps doing it and the cowardly Congress keeps kow towing. Then, when the truth sheds light on the situation, the scurrying Congressional cockroaches pull a Kerry: “I was against it before I was for it.” Too little, too late.
An attitude adjustment is long overdue. America First! Bring all the troops home now and keep all the foreign aid bribes in America too.
