From The Ramparts

Resisting Militarist Imperialism

Resisting Militarist Imperialism

“Marti Hiken, co-chair of the Military Law Taskforce, does not see the draft on the far-off horizon; she sees it as existing reality for hundreds of thousands of Americans. There is the "poverty draft" of young people who are told the military is their only path to a career; the "backdoor draft" of the Stop-Loss program which mandates soldiers stay in active duty for up to 24 months after their contracts have expired; "the senior draft" in which reservists (who make up 40 percent of the fighting force in Iraq) are compelled back into active military service; and finally, there is the "secret draft" of mercenaries and private military contractors. For Hiken, worrying about the draft is an abstraction compared to the havoc wreaked by these real but covert forms of compulsory service. For every covert draft, Hiken sees grassroots groups countering and gaining traction. A lot of the energy is focused on the outrages of Stop-Loss, which has been legally challenged eight times so far. One suit, brought by Emiliano Santiago in Oregon, climbed to the Supreme Court before it was rejected and Santiago was shipped off to Afghanistan to re-join his unit. Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA) championed Santiago's case, saying on the floor of the House, ‘Santiago's plight should be known and feared by every high school junior and senior across the country. The ugly little secret in the Pentagon is that Emiliano Santiago's voluntary service is involuntary.’” Freda Berrigan Alternet 07-05-05

Despite the promises of an obvious pathological liar that there will be no military draft while he is president, many grass roots organizers and concerned citizens fear the return of military conscription. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are not going well yet the NeoConmen and their allies (Christian Zionists and their right wing Ashkenazim counterparts) are beating the drums for additional and simultaneous war, with Iran or Syria. The US military (the imperial enforcement arm of the elitist plutocrats to whom both major political parties are subservient) is over stretched. The US military welds unimaginable fire power and the ability to kill and destroy at will. However, determined freedom fighters have demonstrated a cunning ability to neutralize US fire power and savagery since the Korean War in the 1950's. In Afghanistan and Iraq the US military occupies the land but the resistance forces have the support of the masses (even if in some cases they are intimidated by them). Unfortunaley for the US, the bungling arrogance of the NeoConmen fails to take this into consideration. So now the New World Order needs additional cannon fodder for their expanding crusade for empire and oil; only this time they don’t have any takers. Recruitment for the US Army (active and reserve) and Marines the branches carrying the bulk of the illegal invasion/occupation are both having extreme difficulty getting suckers and chumps to sign up. Despite increasing financial bonuses, raising the age limit and lowering standards, they are still not likely to meet their yearly quotas. As the Iraqi resistance increases and US casualties continue to climb, the AmeriKKKan public’s enthusiasm for Bush’s war has waned proportionately. Things are so bad for Bush, his approval numbers are in the toilet with no improvement in sight. In fact his recent nationally televised speech in front of a captured audience of US soldiers and his 4th of July speech before hand picked sycophants went over like lead balloons. The televised speech was a total dud, the only people who watched it were the corporate media who covered it and Bush loyalists who are decreasing in number daily.
The AmeriKKKan public in its own way is resisting involvement in the empire’s latest folly. While there have been no major demonstrations, more and more grass roots organization are popping up resisting the draft and the encroaching fascism that is engulfing AmeriKKKa. Young folks are eschewing joining the military looking at other areas for career opportunities. The more politically astute people are tired of Bush’s lies and are girding up to resist the Nazification of AmeriKKKa. Others’ who are less politically conscious or motivated are merely looking out for their own best interests. To them, dying or getting maimed for a lie is not worth it. It will take a while for the anti-war sentiment to reach Vietnam era type levels because AmeriKKKa’s whole economy is based on perpetual war. Since WWII the AmeriKKKan public has been bamboozled and manipulated to fear one “enemy” or threat after another. At first global Communism was the bogy man and that lasted until the ‘80's when a series of bad guys from Muammar al-Gaddafi to Manuel Noriega, Osama bin Laden to Saddam Hussein were manufactured to keep the military industrial complex’s cash cow con game going. But following 9-11 Bush played that card once too often using an amorphous and equally bogus “War on Terrorism” as the justification for increased militarism, war and rapine. Now even the brainwashed masses have grown weary and are starting to see how they are being hustled and played. AmeriKKKa is going bankrupt, the war on terrorism is draining the nation’s coffers increasing national debt which like Vietnam will adversely impact domestic programs which is part of the Neoconmen’s plan. Their ultimate goal is to destroy the last vestiges of AmeriKKKan socialism (the New Deal and Great Society programs) so they can reduce the masses to debted serfdom and wage slavery. The economy at least job wise, is still stagnant and folks are worried about their pensions, Social Security and their pay checks’ inability to keep up with rising costs. The NeoConmen’s corporatist agenda does not bode well for Joe and Jan Sixpack; either in the short or long term! Africans in AmeriKKKan already know the deal, we are used to a police state, government sanctioned oppression, social caste and economic privation. The Nazification of AmeriKKKa will soon shock lower class white folks to their core. While Joe and Jane Sixpack don’t comprehend the long range ramifications of all of this, many are increasingly rejecting the call to support ravaging imperialism and fiscal recklessness. Good for them! Let's hope they keep it up!


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posted by Junious Ricardo Stanton @ 5:55 AM