War everywhere but on the campaign trail

[rug]

The U.S. is deeply involved in military engagements around the world, but Obama and Romney don't want to talk about it

July 19, 2012
By Doyle McManus

Here's an important fact you haven't heard much about in the presidential campaign: The armed forces of the United States are at war in at least four countries, and that number could increase any day.

About 87,000 Americans are still fighting in Afghanistan, and some are likely to stay past 2014. We're at war in neighboring Pakistan too, mostly using unmanned drones but with a handful of people on the ground.

U.S. drone and special operations forces are also waging attacks in Yemen and Somalia, operations big enough that President Barack Obama felt compelled to acknowledge them publicly last month in a letter to Congress.

In addition, theU.S. Navyis hunting pirates in the Indian Ocean and patrolling offIran'scoast in the Persian Gulf, and in both missions shots have been fired.

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-07-19/news/bs-ed-candidates-war-20120719_1_drone-strikes-special-operations-forces-campaign-trail

[woo me with science]

1. Huge KICK and REC.

Yes, the silence on the wars is extremely disturbing.
And notice what else they are not talking about:

1. The new, massive surveillance center in Utah to spy on civilian communications

The NSA is building a massive data center in Utah to read every email you'll ever send.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002656593

2. The newest incarnation of bipartisan surveillance "cybersecurity" legislation to allow government *and* corporate spying on and censorship of internet communications

Joe Lieberman trying to pass Cybersecurity Act of 2012. Please oppose.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002978169

Why is Obama pushing Joe Lieberman's surveillance "cybersecurity" bill?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002981288

3. The secret free trade agreement that both Romney and Obama apparently support

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP): An Extremist 1% Global Attack - IMPORTANT
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002936339

Obama and Romney Both Backing Secret Job-killing Deal? Trans-Pacific Partnership lurks
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002946322

These are all huge, significant bipartisan corporate actions that strike right at the heart of American jobs, quality of life, privacy, and freedom of speech. Yet do we hear anything about them on the campaign trail at all? Have the opinions of Americans been welcomed or even sought out at all on these issues? When was the last time you heard a journalist ask one of the candidates about any of these things?

Thank you for this post. It is *always* the truly significant, bipartisan corporate assaults and outrages, including our wars for profit, that are mysteriously missing from our national election conversations.

Wake up America.