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. . . is something I can wrap my mind around. But whoring for whoring's sake is another. These folks seem to generally enjoy war. I mean, who better than a military man to talk about matters that are military? Not that America's military has been in a real 'war' since Vietnam, or really faced a threat since the USSR imploded, but America sure has poured the bucks into it. One hand washes the other, so to speak. The military projects and protects America's power (the wealthy), and the media (owned by the wealthy) makes it look like an honorable thing. Bitch, whine and rail all you want against spending a thin dime for universal medicare, or fixing the social welfare system, or putting some dough into the broken down education system or lowering price of gas. Much gnashing of teeth and rending of hair. But pour the money, unflichingly, down the humungous maw of, much irony here, The Department Of Defense. A bloated military, larger than all other nations combined, it continues to soak up the wealth (except from the untaxed wealthy) and the blood (ditto) of the nation as it serves its real masters - corporate America and, surprise surprise, itself. A virtual perpetual motion machine. I mean, what would all these guys with the ribbons on their chests do if there wasn't a military?? Most of America's wars have been, what General Smedley Butler would call racketeerism, or gangsterism. Perhaps more politely in this day and age where anyone who puts on a uniform is a hero,'securitizing'.
Ol' Smedley (no slouch, he -- the most decorated marine ever) summed it all up: "I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents."
And so, yes, you get your McCaffreys and his buddies perpetuating these filthy wars, and using the fear to keep the money pouring into the coffers of the Military - Media - Industrial - Financial complex.
