America is at risk. Neonuts have forced us into an 'us or them' choice.

[bigtree]

Our future safety is now in more jeopardy than ever in decades. We have forced other countries into employing violent expressions of nationalism and we will inevitably be forced into our own defense of our nation against some future retaliatory threat. This was the plan all along, orchestrated by military industry executives and their minions who saw less profit in peace and prosperity. First there was Reagan, dragged kicking into disarmament. Missiles actually being destroyed, nukes out of fashion and mothballed. BushI found a way with the first Gulf war to spend the stockpile by exploding million dollar missiles over hapless Iraqis creating the 'need' to replace the bombs and munitions. Result? More defense spending. More than 250,000 individual bombs and missiles were dropped or fired in 42 days onto Iraq in that first war. Some 244 laser-guided bombs and 88 cruise missiles were reportedly delivered against Baghdad targets.

But, that wasn't enough to revive the military industry malaise. BushII talked up the renewal of the Star Wars program during the campaign, money was put into research, and the program is waiting for the war to die down so they can pump more money in. In the 2004 defense budget, Congress appropriated $100 million to reinstate one of the canceled missile defense tests. The total amount the administration requested for Ballistic Missile Defense: $9.1 billion; Senate's bill: $9.1 billion.

The biggest threat to the World community is the proliferation of WMDs here in the U.S., facilitated by a nest of former military-industrial executives (military-industrial warriors) and shareholders in the Defense department and throughout the Bush administration. Their push for a new generation of weapons is intended to facilitate the agendas of Bush administration hawks who would project U.S. influence around the globe like mercenary carpetbaggers; through intimidation from the force of our weaponry; with our soldiers; and through the supplying of ‘commercial’ armies whenever a commitment of our forces is politically difficult, or prohibited by Congress.

And their main goal is to keep Americans fearful and poor. Keep us subservient to their military economy.

Now we need to brace ourselves for the inevitable retaliation from the oppressed people of these countries who we have so arrogantly sought to dominate. That will serve these neonut's ambition to confront these resistors to our imperialism with what they wrongly see as our overwhelming military force. The neonuts have no regard for the lives lost on either side. We are all pawns in every actor's violent plan. Many more lives are to be sacrificed on the altar of their ambitions. Countless generations of Americans will be shackled to a corporate agenda of U.S. world domination, supported by the perpetual sacrifice of the lives and blood of generations of our sons and daughters in a continuous world war. Unless we reverse course, war will continue to be our nations primary industry.

And I will never be sanguine about any threat to our nation's safety from any outside force or influence. That's the rub. Us or them. It's their design, it's our conundrum. Which side are you on boy? Which side are you on?

Sigh.

[bigtree]

1. Even with all of our economic struggle, the majority still doesn't know

what real sacrifice is until our country is directly attacked. I fear the knee-jerk reactionism here as well when that happens again.

"We're gonna have peace and quiet/ and if they start a riot/ we'll sit right back and keep score./ The only place you'll go marching to/ will be the corner grocery store...."

From Horace Heidt's "There Ain't Gonna Be No War"

[jdj]

2. reminds me of that old mining song, which I can't find the lyrics to

and this one, "oh come all you coal miners" by Sarah Ogan Gunning, because the last line is very apropos.

"Dear miner, they will slave you 'til you can't work no more
And what'll you get for your living but a dollar in a company store
A tumbled-down shack to live in, snow and rain pours in the top.
You have to pay the company rent, your dying never stops.

I am a coal miner's wife, I'm sure l wish you well.
Let's sink this capitalist system in the darkest pits of hell."

http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/parton/2/comeall.html

[bigtree]

3. perfect analogy

and most Americans are buying into this pyramid of destruction, hoping to cling to their place on the structure, afraid to let go one hand to pull their bretheren up to share their place. Free-market capitalism is a ruse for trampling.