Monday, November 12, 2007

Military Policy: Volunteers, Mercenaries, etc.

I've tried to understand our current military policy in terms of management of volunteers, use of mercenaries ~ that is the true name and intent of that group ~ and the stated shortage of troops. It seems that with respect to volunteers, we are encouraging persons to enlist who would never be admitted in the past: former criminals, those with physical problems, those with mental problems and others. If those folks don't meet criteria set in the past, we are obviously seeking what we used to call cannon fodder. Even the extremely high bonus and cash awards do not seem to improve the quality of enlistees. We certainly can't blame persons failing to seek employment elsewhere, enlisting as a desperate attempt to survive in our present national situation.

Then there are the mercenaries, all highly paid, many quick to violence, most former military persons drawn by incomes not achieveable in the private sector. This group is basically operating independently of military or civilian control ~ contracted out much as our government has allowed our other corporations to manage their affairs and tax money apart from any regulatory control by government. It seems our government has been in the process for some time now to shift governmental functions to the private sector on the assumption that the jobs can be better achieved there. Think about it: has deregulation really helped our citizens? Or are we trusting our corporate structures too much, assuming they have no greed and are honest?

I believe we should think hard on all of this as we approach another national election. Many are beginning to believe that we need a draft. Yes, a draft that will mean even corporate executives, elected officials (etc) may find a son or daughter on the front lines. We do not need mercenaries with a solid standing military. We might find that our leaders may initiate fewer wars if their own people may be in uniform. Besides, if necessary to have more troops, they are findable.

At least it is worth while to think of these things instead of accepting direction from folks that obviously have little interest in change since as we are the rich get richer ....

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Politics and Religion

With all of the pandering by both political parties to the 'religious right', I thought it would be appropriate to post the following quotation from the Congressional Record ~ a quote from Senator Barry Goldwater in 1981. It is like a breath of fresh air!

"There is no position on which people are so immovable as their religious beliefs. There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, or God, or Allah, or whatever one calls this supreme being. But like any powerful weapon, the use of God's name on one's behalf should be used sparingly. The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom. They are trying to force government leaders into following their position 100 percent. If you disagree with these religious groups on a particular moral issue, they complain, they threaten you with loss of money or votes or both. I'm frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in A,B,C, and D. Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of conservatism" ...Congressional Record, 16 Sept. 1981)



Think about it ... few folks fight anymore about what they truly believe ...

Friday, November 2, 2007

Gestapo tactics

Here's something from the NY Times I thought interesting; " Our humanity has been compromised by those who use Gestapo tactics in our war. The longer we stand idly by while they do so, the more we resemble those 'good Germans' who professed ignorance of their own Gestapo. It's up to us to wake up our somnambulant Congress to challenge administratiion policy every day. Let the war's last supporters filibuster all night if they want to. There is nothing left to lose except whatever remains of our country's good name" ...

A Henry Kolm, an M.I.T. physicist whose interrogation of Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy, took place over a chessboard ... he said that "we got more information out of a German general with a game of chess or Ping Pong than they do today with their torture ..." Other examples were given from a elite group of two dozen World War II veterans who participated in a top secret operations to interrogate some 4,000 Nazi prisoners of war.

As a veteran of the Korean War, I incline to agree with these judgements & would appreciate comments from others.

The Cynic

Consider FDR's comment " a pox on both your houses " while involved in a serious management-labor fight. Relate that now to our Congress in Washington and our President in the White House. It fits. It is becoming very hard to avoid the thought that our Congress is made up of wimps more interested in re-election than public interest and our President who is rapidly destroying our country's economy, causing untold deaths in the Middle East and elsewhere, all for the sake of personal ego and oil, of course. Our careful avoidance of conservation of resourses as a nation only adds to the coming crisis. To think otherwise is being blind to reality. Our arrogance is known throughout the world and has turned most countries against us. Many wait for our fall.

How did this come about? It is an old methodology, one used very effectively by a gentleman named Paul Joseph Goebbels. Repeat lies again and again and again & a good percentage of our citizens will believe them.

I doubt that much will change and it is possible that we'll become a second or third-class nation, bankrupt and hated. It is not a future I wish for our children & grandchildren but as a very old member of the Ojibwa stated " ... I am sorry for you. You whites have only a short time on top of the world. Your greed is destroying you. Your arrogance will guarantee it ..."