On his show today, Michael posed the question; “How do we make sure we don’t get into another unnecessary war?” claiming rightfully, that it is our responsibility, the citizens of the US, to prevent that from happening.
We all know how we got into the current war. The Bush administration, capitalizing on the fear from 9/11 lied to us about the threat Iraq posed to our safety. The media, instead of investigating the claims, went along with them. The people, fearful and angry over 9/11, agreed.
There are three scenarios I can think of that might lead us into another war;
- another terrorist attack
- pre-empting Iran’s nuclear ambitions
- Israel or another ally is attacked
Are any of these enough to justify another war? Are any of these worth the kinds of heartbreaking stories Michael read on his show today? I guess it’s up to each individual to decide that for themselves.
Back to the three scenarios;
- If we’re attacked again, it will be difficult for people to resist the temptation to want to kick whoever’s ass our government tells us is responsible.
- If we don’t question the assertion that Iran is trying to get nuclear weapons and that their intention is to destroy Israel, there is a real danger we could get duped into war with Iran.
- This is the toughest of all. Not coming to the aid of an ally would be unacceptable to most Americans, and rightly so. This is the one scenario that would lead to a war that most would consider necessary…maybe even me.
But if we want to prevent another ill-conceived military adventure, we have to get smarter. We have to be suspicious of what our government tells us. Conman is right; patriotism is questioning your government’s policies, not blind obedience.
Will it be different next time? Can it be?
Whoa there Restless,
See I think we have it all wrong. We are going about this whole “WAR” thing all wrong. Trying to get countries to set up democracies, stop crazy dictators and ensure that counties that provide certain natural resources continue to provide them to us for our future consumption and the best lifestyle any country has seen in history is just nuts.
This is a fruitless, costly and frustrating task at best. When are we going to learn from the lessons of the past? What we need to do is to start a colonization of the planet, where the sun rises and sets on the American Empire.
First thing is to kick the UN out of the US, they can set up in France, Dafur, or where ever they can pitch their tents, as long as its not in our backyard and on our dime.
Second, we then move to any country and demand they become subservient to us, relinquish any governmental structure that exists and put in our own puppet regime. Resistance? I don’t think so. At the first sign of resistance, the whole of the resisting population is slaughtered as an example to anyone else. Total resistance, no problem. We wipe out the total population and import and establish a new population that is subservient to needs. Heck, there are hundreds of thousands, no millions, of people in China, India, any country in Africa, that would be more then willing to set up at our expense for a better life.
Third, set up occupational armies within those counties we control that is made up of its citizens and mercenaries from other counties with the promise of US citizenship after serving, oh lets say 12 years. That way we can control these counties with a minimum US presence and have these occupational nationalistic armies do the dirty work for us.
Fourth, we bring in Japanese efficiency into the running of all industry, agriculture, and businesses of these counties so that not only are we able to exploit the resources of these counties, but we would in fact bring many of these counties into the current century, thereby helping the world in the end, and making it a safer place for everyone, as long as they play ball with us.
Different next time? If I were king for a day you bet it would be!
By the way, is today a beautiful spring day or what??!!
Whoa there Restless,
See I think we have it all wrong. We are going about this whole “WAR” thing all wrong. Trying to get countries to set up democracies, stop crazy dictators and ensure that counties that provide certain natural resources continue to provide them to us for our future consumption and the best lifestyle any country has seen in history is just nuts.
This is a fruitless, costly and frustrating task at best. When are we going to learn from the lessons of the past? What we need to do is to start a colonization of the planet, where the sun rises and sets on the American Empire.
First thing is to kick the UN out of the US, they can set up in France, Dafur, or where ever they can pitch their tents, as long as its not in our backyard and on our dime.
Second, we then move to any country and demand they become subservient to us, relinquish any governmental structure that exists and put in our own puppet regime. Resistance? I don’t think so. At the first sign of resistance, the whole of the resisting population is slaughtered as an example to anyone else. Total resistance, no problem. We wipe out the total population and import and establish a new population that is subservient to needs. Heck, there are hundreds of thousands, no millions, of people in China, India, any country in Africa, that would be more then willing to set up at our expense for a better life.
Third, set up occupational armies within those counties we control that is made up of its citizens and mercenaries from other counties with the promise of US citizenship after serving, oh lets say 12 years. That way we can control these counties with a minimum US presence and have these occupational nationalistic armies do the dirty work for us.
Fourth, we bring in Japanese efficiency into the running of all industry, agriculture, and businesses of these counties so that not only are we able to exploit the resources of these counties, but we would in fact bring many of these counties into the current century, thereby helping the world in the end, and making it a safer place for everyone, as long as they play ball with us.
Different next time? If I were king for a day you bet it would be!
By the way, is today a beautiful spring day or what??!!
Yes, it’s an awesome day, though a bit cold for my morning walk.
Good plan you got there, I assume you’d be willing to take your AK-47 and fight for the cause?
Actually, I somewhat agree with you! If we’re going to go around the world trying to dominate and subjugate, for the purpose of securing OUR resources (what’s our oil doing under their sand anyway), then we should just come clean and say so. It’s really the hypocrisy, the con, that angers me most; this pretending that we are doing something noble and just for the people whose country we are raping and pillaging.
I’ve always said that if the majority of Americans agree that it is worth killing and dying for oil, then so be it. I will accept war as an instrument of securing our future energy needs, as long as we all agree that is what we want. It’s the slogan “fighting for our freedom” that pisses me off. None of our modern wars have anything to do with freedom. The military-industrial complex is alive and well, we are just fooling ourselves into thinking otherwise. We don’t want to be seen as the bad guys that we really are, so we tell ourselves we’re ridding lands of dictators and such.
Alpha, I wish you could be king for a day. I would welcome your refreshing candidness and unabashed agenda. Long live the King!
Yes, it’s an awesome day, though a bit cold for my morning walk.
Good plan you got there, I assume you’d be willing to take your AK-47 and fight for the cause?
Actually, I somewhat agree with you! If we’re going to go around the world trying to dominate and subjugate, for the purpose of securing OUR resources (what’s our oil doing under their sand anyway), then we should just come clean and say so. It’s really the hypocrisy, the con, that angers me most; this pretending that we are doing something noble and just for the people whose country we are raping and pillaging.
I’ve always said that if the majority of Americans agree that it is worth killing and dying for oil, then so be it. I will accept war as an instrument of securing our future energy needs, as long as we all agree that is what we want. It’s the slogan “fighting for our freedom” that pisses me off. None of our modern wars have anything to do with freedom. The military-industrial complex is alive and well, we are just fooling ourselves into thinking otherwise. We don’t want to be seen as the bad guys that we really are, so we tell ourselves we’re ridding lands of dictators and such.
Alpha, I wish you could be king for a day. I would welcome your refreshing candidness and unabashed agenda. Long live the King!
Since we’re playing Let’s Pretend, here’s how things would be if I were Queen for a day…
I’d abolish all laws except one; the Golden Rule. Anyone who broke it would be sentenced to a year of community service. Anyone who harmed or killed a person would be sterilized and sent to Antarctica…naked. Anyone who harmed an animal (for any reason other than obtaining meat) would get fifty lashes. Any leader who amassed an army and started a war would be guillotined. I’d abolish all property rights and immigration restrictions. I’d make all of the auto manufacturers increase their fuel efficiency and/or convert to renewable energy within five years. I’d give everyone free health care. I’d legalize gay marriage. I’d abolish all party affiliations, there’d only be one; the Human Party. Mmmmm…yeah, that’s about it.
Since we’re playing Let’s Pretend, here’s how things would be if I were Queen for a day…
I’d abolish all laws except one; the Golden Rule. Anyone who broke it would be sentenced to a year of community service. Anyone who harmed or killed a person would be sterilized and sent to Antarctica…naked. Anyone who harmed an animal (for any reason other than obtaining meat) would get fifty lashes. Any leader who amassed an army and started a war would be guillotined. I’d abolish all property rights and immigration restrictions. I’d make all of the auto manufacturers increase their fuel efficiency and/or convert to renewable energy within five years. I’d give everyone free health care. I’d legalize gay marriage. I’d abolish all party affiliations, there’d only be one; the Human Party. Mmmmm…yeah, that’s about it.
[Any leader who amassed an army and started a war would be guillotined.]
To guillotine such a person, you’d have to attack and subdue the army and its leader. Would that not make you guilty of this offense?
Cheers,
[Any leader who amassed an army and started a war would be guillotined.]
To guillotine such a person, you’d have to attack and subdue the army and its leader. Would that not make you guilty of this offense?
Cheers,
The devil’s in the details!
The devil’s in the details!
No war was ever won by a combatant unwilling to be as ruthless and merciless as his/her enemy.
Cheers,
No war was ever won by a combatant unwilling to be as ruthless and merciless as his/her enemy.
Cheers,
Define “won”
Define “won”
Define “won”? You already have: the ability to guillotine the enemy’s leader.
Cheers,
Define “won”? You already have: the ability to guillotine the enemy’s leader.
Cheers,
In that case, I can be as ruthless and merciless as I need to be to “win” as you can probably tell by my willingness to sterilize and send transgressors to Antarctica…naked.
I ain’t no pacifist!
In that case, I can be as ruthless and merciless as I need to be to “win” as you can probably tell by my willingness to sterilize and send transgressors to Antarctica…naked.
I ain’t no pacifist!
I forgot one thing I’d do if I was Queen…kill all of the Pit Bulls, eliminating the breed forever. So that it doesn’t violate my rule about cruelty to animals, we’d have a big Pit Bull BBQfest.
I forgot one thing I’d do if I was Queen…kill all of the Pit Bulls, eliminating the breed forever. So that it doesn’t violate my rule about cruelty to animals, we’d have a big Pit Bull BBQfest.
[I ain't no pacifist!]
Just checkin’.
Mmmmm. A puppy-que. Pass the ribs!
Cheers,
[I ain't no pacifist!]
Just checkin’.
Mmmmm. A puppy-que. Pass the ribs!
Cheers,
OK yummy puppies aside, let’s get serious again. Considering alpha’s plan to take over the world, he must be thrilled by the Iraq war budget just passed which requires the following benchmarks be reached by the Iraqis;
“enact a hydro-carbon law that equitably shares oil revenues among all Iraqis”
The Iraq Oil Law hands 2/3 of Iraq’s oil revenues over to mostly US and British corporations, leaving 1/3 to be “equitably shared among all Iraqis.” This, as Dennis Kucinich notes, is the proof that this war was launched to steal Iraq’s oil.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200705/POL20070524a.html
“allocate expenditures of $10,000,000,000 in Iraqi revenues for reconstruction projects, including delivery of essential services, on an equitable basis.”
So after dumping hundreds of billions of US taxpayer dollars into war profiteering corporations pretending to reconstruct Iraq, we’re going to demand that the Iraqis shell out $10 billion to pay for the reconstruction themselves.
Sounds fair enough, at least in alpha’s world.
OK yummy puppies aside, let’s get serious again. Considering alpha’s plan to take over the world, he must be thrilled by the Iraq war budget just passed which requires the following benchmarks be reached by the Iraqis;
“enact a hydro-carbon law that equitably shares oil revenues among all Iraqis”
The Iraq Oil Law hands 2/3 of Iraq’s oil revenues over to mostly US and British corporations, leaving 1/3 to be “equitably shared among all Iraqis.” This, as Dennis Kucinich notes, is the proof that this war was launched to steal Iraq’s oil.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200705/POL20070524a.html
“allocate expenditures of $10,000,000,000 in Iraqi revenues for reconstruction projects, including delivery of essential services, on an equitable basis.”
So after dumping hundreds of billions of US taxpayer dollars into war profiteering corporations pretending to reconstruct Iraq, we’re going to demand that the Iraqis shell out $10 billion to pay for the reconstruction themselves.
Sounds fair enough, at least in alpha’s world.
["Kucinich is not doing well. In fact, even in Florida today, people said they wouldn't vote for Kucinich even by mistake."]
~Jay Leno, 2004
You may like Representative Kucinich. I find his views difficult to take seriously.
Cheers,
["Kucinich is not doing well. In fact, even in Florida today, people said they wouldn't vote for Kucinich even by mistake."]
~Jay Leno, 2004
You may like Representative Kucinich. I find his views difficult to take seriously.
Cheers,
No doubt he’s an odd bird, but even a broken (cuckoo) clock is right twice a day.
No doubt he’s an odd bird, but even a broken (cuckoo) clock is right twice a day.
One of my favorites:
“The energy of the stars becomes us. We become the energy of the stars. Stardust and spirit unite, and we begin: One with the universe. Whole and holy. From one source, endless creative energy, bursting forth, kinetic, elemental. We, the earth, air, water, and fire source of nearly 15 billion years of cosmic spiraling…”
~Dennis Kucinich, remarks to Praxis Peace Institute, June 9, 2002
Cheers,
One of my favorites:
“The energy of the stars becomes us. We become the energy of the stars. Stardust and spirit unite, and we begin: One with the universe. Whole and holy. From one source, endless creative energy, bursting forth, kinetic, elemental. We, the earth, air, water, and fire source of nearly 15 billion years of cosmic spiraling…”
~Dennis Kucinich, remarks to Praxis Peace Institute, June 9, 2002
Cheers,
And while we’re on the subject of silly,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xa2wVBza98
Cheers,
And while we’re on the subject of silly,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xa2wVBza98
Cheers,
Too COOL! Thanks for making me laugh.
Too COOL! Thanks for making me laugh.
Speaking of Pitbull BBQ, check out vid on CNN about the little girl who just got mauled by two in Buffalo, NY.
This is not a breed to be kept in a town home or apartment or a home with zero lot lines….what are people thinking?
Speaking of Pitbull BBQ, check out vid on CNN about the little girl who just got mauled by two in Buffalo, NY.
This is not a breed to be kept in a town home or apartment or a home with zero lot lines….what are people thinking?
As for Pit Bull BBQ, well… Mitch should concur here. Being a Texan, I proudly say that I know a few things about good BBQ… and I mean good BBQ. Lamb, goats (slow roasted in the ground is best), pork, beef, deer, elk, chikin’… etc.
But dogs? No way. Go to Singapore for that!
As for the real meat of this blog and comments, lets just say I’m intrigued, greatly. Yet before I reply, I’ll roast ‘dem thoughts for a while. And when I do present the feast, it will be laced in some pretty damn’d good sauce. Check in later. — J
As for Pit Bull BBQ, well… Mitch should concur here. Being a Texan, I proudly say that I know a few things about good BBQ… and I mean good BBQ. Lamb, goats (slow roasted in the ground is best), pork, beef, deer, elk, chikin’… etc.
But dogs? No way. Go to Singapore for that!
As for the real meat of this blog and comments, lets just say I’m intrigued, greatly. Yet before I reply, I’ll roast ‘dem thoughts for a while. And when I do present the feast, it will be laced in some pretty damn’d good sauce. Check in later. — J