Armies do they defend our freedoms or not?

[undergroundpanther]

This is a question worth asking..even if it"offends".

How often do we hear the claim that American troops “defend our freedoms”? The claim is made often by U.S. officials and is echoed far and wide across the land by television commentators, newspaper columnists, public-school teachers, and many others. It’s even a common assertion that emanates on Sundays from many church pulpits.

Unfortunately, it just isn’t so. In fact, the situation is the exact opposite — the troops serve as the primary instrument by which both our freedoms and well-being are threatened.

Let’s examine the three potential threats to our freedoms and the role that the troops play in them:
Read more..


http://www.fff.org/comment/com0510g.asp

[niallmac]

1. I am with Hornberger on this.

We are one scary ass out of control christo/ethno centric crazed capitalist imperialist militant nation.
And as long as all of the above keeps gas prices affordable and beer and chips on
the table then god help the third world.

[gratuitous]

2. If your freedom is secured only by massive defense spending

Then you aren't very free.

[undergroundpanther]

5. Agreed.

We need to get rid of standing armies.
But how do you even bring this up. So many people are so convinced they need a national defense.You know social engineering and corporations in in this country have done alot of harm to communities,we live in apartments and don't know our neighbors,so the atomization of our communities has made an illusion that we need government,because we can't trust each other. It's an evil and gradual social engineering scam done to us by the corporates and government in the guise of" for our own own good and the"welfare of the people"that has made us believe we need standing armies to defend us..The only ones who need loyal armies are the elitists pigs who desire to pillage a nations wealth and happiness,abuse people, steal resources and abuse power...

[bemildred]

3. Do burglars protect your property? nt

[undergroundpanther]

6. There are more good people

who would protect you from thieves if you had a relationship with your community. Armies don't care if they are not ordered to.

I trust my neighbors over the hired cops to protect me and my stuff.
Because my neighbors KNOW me and they care.

As for thieves,

What if the whole town as well as you KNOWS who steals and everyone watches out for the thief because they all know him ,they know his patterns and habits and can constrain him? In a community that knows it's own residents, the few thieves among many decent but wary people who know the thieves games cannot so easily get away with stealing can they? So in the past when communities knew themselves,the thieves leave town and go where strangers trust can be exploited.Now that everyone is so transient and atomized and lack social skills we think we need cops more than each other and that is really serving the true pillagers,the elitists that want us obedient,paying, and servile.

[sufrommich]

9. Actually,If I'm in trouble

I want the cops to come to my defense.So your argument is that if neighbors were "closer"we would all know who the bad guys were and send them on to the next unsuspecting town?Not all crimes are predictable or theft related.

[annabanana]

4. I'm sure they would if our freedoms were under attack

from "enemies, foreign". I wish there was a way to get them to work on the "enemies, domestic".

[sufrommich]

8. and who gets to

decide who the" enemies domestic "is? You?

[tularetom]

7. Our army supports corporate America

and its right to ever increasing profits. In the rare event that coincides with the freedom of the American people then I guess the answer would be yes. Its my perception however that our interests could normally not be further from a corporations bottom line/