Militarism

Militarism is a sign of an unhealthy society. The current U.S. love affair with militarism in its media is symptomatic of the failure of the best American values to supercede materialism and corporate greed. The paranoic propaganda that the U.S. is under constant attack serves those who would suppress protest and radical change of the political and economic situation in the U.S.. In other words, militarism is just another advertising ploy to promote corporate power.

The real story behind militarism is told by the few veterans who speak out about their experiences inside the beast. The rare soldier who decries the violence and injustice of war is victimized and marginalized. Isn't this strange in a country that has always boasted its citizen-soldier ideals, rooted in a revolution against a colonizing military machine?

Reaganite apologists have rewritten the history of the Viet Nam Era in an attempt to squelch the recurrence of mass protests in the U.S.. Cities in the U.S. host mock terrorist attacks as drills to terrorize the civilian population. The subliminal message is clear: We can find you and root you out, just like the terrorists. This obvious militaristic technique is employed by dictators and ruling elites worldwide. The current Syrian regime has declared its protesters terrorists and criminals to justify mowing them down with military forces.

The U.S. increasingly represents "world order", while its internal environment is increasingly plagued with social disorder, violent crime and social disparity. More than half a trillion dollars a year is spent on the U.S. military. This is twice the amount of money spent annually on Medicare/Medicaid. In other words, the U.S. government spends twice as much money on trying to kill people as it does on trying to keep people well. What does that say about a society?