The DRAFT: Feeding The Beast
Right on time, wouldn't you say?
"The United States military is too small for the responsibilities we are asking it to assume." So begins the letter from PNAC, the blood for oil people.
Neoconservatism, the official religion of America's One Party State, has created an entrenched marketplace that demands payment in blood. The neoconned masses who so boldly proclaim their superiority to the rest of the world have labored under the illusion this blood debt would flow from the dirty arteries of swarthy, freedom-hating foreigners.
Shit happens, as they say, and when it does, slovenly Wal-Mart shoppers and beautiful Lexus owners converge to proclaim every dead soldier a hero, every hapless recipient of a Purple Heart a brave and noble warrior. Though not often publicly acknowledged, many share a measure of admiration for the occasional "bad apples" who inexplicably torture and kill and bring disgrace - wink, wink - on our besieged, misunderstood nation. Do not call these soldiers what they are - victims of their government's avarice - because such a designation calls out for scrutiny, justice, conscience and remorse.
Reverberating in their callow minds is the cold comfort of knowing every American soldier, whether hero or bad apple, accepted the job knowing full well the risks of their allegiance. Rich and poor and aching with frightful ignorance, they wave little flags in support of The Empire with giddy enthusiasm and unabashed sentimentality, fleetingly thankful an all-volunteer military will bear the brunt of their hallowed leaders' occasional "miscalculation." Murder and death are for other people, not one's own son or daughter, brother, sister or cousin. The followers of this squalid official religion sleep well, but their long slumber will soon come to an end.
The living architects of neoconservatism are, at best, indifferent to human suffering whether the pain radiates from soldier or civilian, American or Arab, man or woman, adult or child. At worst, they delight in it, as it feeds their insatiable appetite for power and wealth. Such is life, they shrug, and blood - someone else's blood - is the cost of doing business. This is what they call "freedom" though it has nothing to do with being free and everything to do with whipping the rubes into a nationalistic bloodletting frenzy.
The blame for our current situation does not stop at the feet of the neocon faithful. Democrats and the now mythical "moderate" Republicans are oh-so-cautious when criticizing the reckless, disastrous policies of the current administration. They routinely demonstrate zero leadership, blinding hypocrisy and spectacular cowardice, trembling in the long shadows of the madmen crafting our demise. You and I are complicit in these ongoing crimes against humanity because we deluded ourselves into believing our Democratic "leaders" worked for us. They didn't. And as a political body, they don't today. We -- you and I -- have an obligation to eject these weak-kneed, self-interested, incompetent bureaucrats and replace them with individuals who truly represent the Democratic rank & file. Unless and until we accomplish this, we must be prepared to reserve some guilt and shame for ourselves.
I welcome the coming draft with all the enthusiasm of a gangrene patient awaiting an amputation. Let us acknowledge this moribund creation for what it is: the culmination of an insidious political movement fueled by irrational fear, unfathomable hatred and blatant contempt for those with whom we share this beautiful planet - including each other.
How heartbreakingly sad it is that nothing short of a military draft, and the carnage it is sure to bring, will force Americans to realize what a catastrophic path we have taken. Maybe, just maybe, a true anti-war movement will emerge from the immeasurable grief we have delivered to the world and ourselves.
Let the counter-revolution begin.
"The United States military is too small for the responsibilities we are asking it to assume." So begins the letter from PNAC, the blood for oil people.
Neoconservatism, the official religion of America's One Party State, has created an entrenched marketplace that demands payment in blood. The neoconned masses who so boldly proclaim their superiority to the rest of the world have labored under the illusion this blood debt would flow from the dirty arteries of swarthy, freedom-hating foreigners.
Shit happens, as they say, and when it does, slovenly Wal-Mart shoppers and beautiful Lexus owners converge to proclaim every dead soldier a hero, every hapless recipient of a Purple Heart a brave and noble warrior. Though not often publicly acknowledged, many share a measure of admiration for the occasional "bad apples" who inexplicably torture and kill and bring disgrace - wink, wink - on our besieged, misunderstood nation. Do not call these soldiers what they are - victims of their government's avarice - because such a designation calls out for scrutiny, justice, conscience and remorse.
Reverberating in their callow minds is the cold comfort of knowing every American soldier, whether hero or bad apple, accepted the job knowing full well the risks of their allegiance. Rich and poor and aching with frightful ignorance, they wave little flags in support of The Empire with giddy enthusiasm and unabashed sentimentality, fleetingly thankful an all-volunteer military will bear the brunt of their hallowed leaders' occasional "miscalculation." Murder and death are for other people, not one's own son or daughter, brother, sister or cousin. The followers of this squalid official religion sleep well, but their long slumber will soon come to an end.
The living architects of neoconservatism are, at best, indifferent to human suffering whether the pain radiates from soldier or civilian, American or Arab, man or woman, adult or child. At worst, they delight in it, as it feeds their insatiable appetite for power and wealth. Such is life, they shrug, and blood - someone else's blood - is the cost of doing business. This is what they call "freedom" though it has nothing to do with being free and everything to do with whipping the rubes into a nationalistic bloodletting frenzy.
The blame for our current situation does not stop at the feet of the neocon faithful. Democrats and the now mythical "moderate" Republicans are oh-so-cautious when criticizing the reckless, disastrous policies of the current administration. They routinely demonstrate zero leadership, blinding hypocrisy and spectacular cowardice, trembling in the long shadows of the madmen crafting our demise. You and I are complicit in these ongoing crimes against humanity because we deluded ourselves into believing our Democratic "leaders" worked for us. They didn't. And as a political body, they don't today. We -- you and I -- have an obligation to eject these weak-kneed, self-interested, incompetent bureaucrats and replace them with individuals who truly represent the Democratic rank & file. Unless and until we accomplish this, we must be prepared to reserve some guilt and shame for ourselves.
I welcome the coming draft with all the enthusiasm of a gangrene patient awaiting an amputation. Let us acknowledge this moribund creation for what it is: the culmination of an insidious political movement fueled by irrational fear, unfathomable hatred and blatant contempt for those with whom we share this beautiful planet - including each other.
How heartbreakingly sad it is that nothing short of a military draft, and the carnage it is sure to bring, will force Americans to realize what a catastrophic path we have taken. Maybe, just maybe, a true anti-war movement will emerge from the immeasurable grief we have delivered to the world and ourselves.
Let the counter-revolution begin.
posted by Arvin Hill at 1/29/2005 01:11:00 PM
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