What war is really about

I have two dear loved ones in the military. I also have a lot of sympathy for the many young people who, after a lifetime of indoctrination, signed up to do what they believed would be defending their country.

With that said, I think there is an important distinction to be made: U.S. soldiers do not kill and die for our country, they kill and die for the government. 

War is about the government fighting other governments for its own interests and those of its corporate cronies. The government uses its subjects -- sometimes volunteers and other times conscripts -- to accomplish its objectives.

War is not about freedom, it is not about security, it is not about human rights, it is not about democracy.

War is the health of the state, and war is a racket.

Americans are less free, less safe and poorer as a result of their government's unjust, unconstitutional, counterproductive wars. These wars cause untold death, destruction and misery in this world, all for the benefit of those who control the levers of power.

Soldiers kill and maim other soldiers that their government has convinced them are their enemies, but in reality are mostly indoctrinated and propagandized young people exactly like them, "just following orders" on the part of their government. In many cases, they are defending their homes from U.S. invaders and occupiers. 

More often, the human beings who soldiers destroy are innocent civilians who are either caught in the crossfire or targeted intentionally. The U.S. has slaughtered millions of innocents just since WWII (and plenty during and before WWII as well).

War is about money, power and glory. It is about enriching the politically connected, expanding the empire abroad and at home, and glorifying the state.

This is far less glamorous than the fairytales we are told by the government all of our lives, whether through school, media, before sporting events, etc. And it is extremely painful to accept. But it is true.

War is hell.

I'm sick of living in a state of perpetual war.

How about our government obeys the Constitution. How about our government follows the Golden Rule. How about our government stops waging undeclared and unnecessary wars that have nothing to do with our defense, and which end up killing our soldiers and innocent civilians and creating countless more enemies. 

How about we stop electing people who are so eager to spill blood and spend treasure so carelessly.

War is hell. How about we elect the anti-hell candidate.

(photo credit www.lewrockwell.com)

The false choice of Republican vs. Democrat

...and right vs. left, conservative vs. liberal, etc.

We have been deceived.

How is it that so-called conservative George W. Bush doubled the national debt, doubled the deficit, massively expanded the federal government at all levels, created a new unfunded socialized medicine entitlement, "abandoned free market principles to save the free market system" via government bailouts (his own words), and knowingly and blatantly violated the U.S. Constitution in numerous severe ways?

How is it that so-called liberal Barack Obama increased the military footprint all over the world, increased the drone strikes on multiple countries—killing countless civilians in the process, launched new overt and covert wars, violated civil liberties on an unprecedented scale, ratcheted up the federal government’s war on personal behavior, and gave massive bailouts and handouts to favored corporations?

How is it that this alleged political struggle seems to have resulted in an amalgamation of the worst of both sides?

The answer is that Republican vs. Democrat is a false choice. There is only one party: the big government party. It loves both warfare and welfare, and sees both as a means to power and control. It detests freedom, and tramples both personal and economic liberty. It steals from both the rich and the poor to benefit itself, whether through taxation or inflation.

We are being lied to. But we do have a real choice, with precisely two options:
1) an eventual complete economic collapse--offered by the establishment; or
2) a complete rejection of the establishment--offered by Ron Paul--and the resulting liberty, peace and prosperity

"Boo" to the Golden Rule? WTF?

The video below highlights something for which I am sincerely grateful to Ron Paul. He taught me to truly view all people as individual's with natural, unalienable rights. Not only my neighbors and peers, not only all Americans who are fortunate enough to live under the U.S. Constitution (whatever shred of it remains), but "all men" (and women) as laid out definitively in the Declaration of Independence.

In the video, some in the crowd at the South Carolina debate Monday night boo Ron Paul for suggesting that we apply the Golden Rule in our dealings with other countries. 

Yes, the Golden Rule...you know, that radical and controversial philosophy that says that we should treat others the way we’d want to be treated. The rule might suggest, among other things, that we not carry out regular drone strikes inside other countries which result in the death of innocent civilians, or that we not invade and occupy sovereign nations for years on end, or that we not prop up brutal dictators that serve our interests in certain countries while using covert operations to overthrow uncooperative governments in others.

Ron Paul dares to suggest that this behavior on the part of our government might, just might, cause resentment and anger in those unfortunate enough to find themselves among the collateral damage of U.S. foreign policy.

Nonsense! How naive! How isolationist! How unpatriotic! Boooooooo!

Ok, seriously, what could possibly be boo-worthy about this?

Without this respect of innocent life, of individual liberty, and of the natural and unalienable rights of all people, this country is doomed. And no amount of military power and might will be able save it. 

God help us when one day we find ourselves at the mercy of a superpower that flouts the Golden Rule.

Same propaganda, different day. (And slightly different spelling.)

Iraq. Iran. It must be cost effective to use the same script and simply change the "q" to "n".

Endless war. 

Endless debt. 
Endless government. 
Endless violations of liberty and natural rights.

An endless parade of politicians with (R) or (D) after their name who govern the Exact. Same. Way.

The only solution is a game changer. 
The only solution is a rEVOLution.