War is a racket/Must Read

[ls317]

http://www.veteransforpeace.org/war_is_a_racket_033103.htm

How many of these war millionaires shouldered a rifle? How many of them dug a trench? How many of them knew what it meant to go hungry in a rat-infested dug-out? How many of them spent sleepless, frightened nights, ducking shells and shrapnel and machine gun bullets? How many of them parried a bayonet thrust of an enemy? How many of them were wounded or killed in battle?

Out of war nations acquire additional territory, if they are victorious. They just take it. This newly acquired territory promptly is exploited by the few -- the selfsame few who wrung dollars out of blood in the war. The general public shoulders the bill.

And what is this bill?

This bill renders a horrible accounting. Newly placed gravestones. Mangled bodies. Shattered minds. Broken hearts and homes. Economic instability. Depression and all its attendant miseries. Back-breaking taxation for generations and generations.

For a great many years, as a soldier, I had a suspicion that war was a racket; not until I retired to civil life did I fully realize it. Now that I see the international war clouds gathering, as they are today, I must face it and speak out.

[izzie]

1. All wars seem the same.

I think in WW1 they called it the meat grinder. They also used many children in that war. I think may be we seem to like war, to push what we want, as few have been fought in side this country. We wonder why Europe do not want to fight. As if you gave it half a second of thought and you would not know, but our war lovers never seem to do that.

[ls317]

2. Personally

What I find intresting that if you read within the scope of it... This was written and directed towards WW1... How much of whats written from it rings true in todays current ongoing war!

[izzie]

3. It did seem to be WW1 to me but wars are all wasteful and

I fear alike. Another marker to add to the village Sq. and the Mall. I can find my ancestor on one in a small town in Maine , my mothers brother from WW2 and another with a flag because he fought in the Revolutions. And that is just some of the graves I can recall off the top of my head. Can any one figure just what good we are doing in Iraq? Please tell me if you can. They all smell of death and waste.