Reply #1: I have been mostly ignoring what Obama is saying [View All]

[truedelphi]

Other than to keep myself informed as what he plans to do. Of course, through DU, I hear snippets of what he said, and again and again the refrain of how he has "agonized" over the choice.


But of far greater interest to me has been what the Generals are saying - and they were out in full force testifying before the Senate. C Span happened to run the video of it most of last night.

I can well remember the enthusiasm our nation initially happened to have back when the Buddhist priests were burning themselves alive to protest the Communist forces infiltrating South Vietnam and persecuting anyone of an overly religious stance.

At that point in time, Vietnam was the clean slate, and I can remember all of it, even though I was only eleven or twelve, and I remember how enthused we were as a nation.

We could provide "Advisers" -- we could help build schools and water sanitation facilities. And thus we could also help the people of Vietnam secure a "Stable government."

Watching the Generals answer the Senators' questions last evening, this clean slate of a virgin country that we once again can assist - that clean slate came in focus.

The words that were spoken were all so mighty and glorious and proud - why we practically OWE those service people who have so gallantly gone off on previous tours more war so they can continue to be patriotic. (Can anyone in America be a patriot unless they are fighting a war!?!) I heard not a single word about the fact that these glorious patriots are now in the third, fourth, fifth or even sixth tour of duty.

Nor did I hear cautions that should absolutely be demanded of the military in terms of the domestic security of this nation. (Even Nixon was careful to make sure that enough soldiers were on hand at all times for emergencies here. But when the beleaguered middle class, already jobless and homeless, finally takes to the streets, will the military be unable to defend the mayor's offices, the State Capitals, and Washington DC itself?)

No General mentioned how THERE IS NO MONEY FOR THIS QUAGMIRE. At the time of Vietnam, due to the careful expansion of our economy over the fifties and sixties (in large part because Dwight Eisenhower refused the Generals any wars) this nation had enough money so that the war could be fought. Of course, the budgetary decisions ended up costing so much that a huge recession came about in the late seventies.

So once again the drum beat sounds, a nation readies its forces.

Beware, oh citizens of Afghanistan. The MIC is after you and your children, although all of this is painted with such rhetoric that no one can any longer remember the little girl, with arms outstretched, running down a dusty road in Vietnam, her body torched by napalm, her country's soul (And ours as well) in blistery ruins.