Endless War category archive
The Lies of the Land 0
At the San Francisco Chronicle, David Morrell argues that Donald Trump’s big lie is not the first to bedevil (at least some of) the American people. Here’s a bit:
From my experience, the lies surrounding the Jan. 6 insurrection are no less blatant, no less absurd and no less grotesque than those that fueled the Vietnam War more than a half-century ago.
He was there in the command structure, not in combat, and he saw the lies being crafted first hand.
I was eligible for the draft back then. I knew that the Vietnamese War was, at best, a mistake and that my friends and I were subject to being drafted and sent to die for, at best, a mistake.
But, even then, I did not realize how big the lie was.
History Matters 0
At the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Dan Simpson tries to draw some lessons from America’s war in Afghanistan. A snippet; follow the link for the full piece:
Sacrifices on the Altar of the Fool’s Errand 0
I get that there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth about President Biden’s committing to withdraw from Afghanistan. And I share Bob Cesca’s fear that the Taliban will rise again and his concern that the Taliban’s holding power next door to Pakistan, which has nuclear weapons, is disquieting.
Mongers of war, believers that the sword is the ultimate solution to every problem, fans of false macho, and manufacturers of weaponry will wail and gnash their teeth. But, frankly, after twenty years, what have we accomplished? An endless running-in-place.
Zilch, nada, nothing.
We should sacrifice no more lives on the altar of pretending that it was not a fool’s errand from the git-go, and two decades has shown us that we cannot fix Afghanistan’s internal problems from afar, however in need of fixing some of them might be.
This may be President Biden’s bravest act to date–to stand up to the mongers of endless war.
Image via Job’s Anger.
Rule of Lawless, a Gallery of Rogues Dept. 0
Sam and his crew discusses Donald Trump’s pardoning of mercenaries convicted of killing civilians and of other rogues in the gallery.
The Endless War on a Common Noun 0
David and his guest. Phil Gurski, a Canadian intelligence veteran, explore the origins of terrorism.
Braindead 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, neuroscientist R. W. Fields takes issue with Donald Trump’s casual dismissal of traumatic brain injuries potentially affecting soldiers in the field.
Aside:
Trump spoke as only one whose closest brush with battle was an episode of Combat that he watched as a kid.
War and Mongers of War 0
What’s more alarming: That Trump lies all the time about everything or that the Trumpettes willingly believe him without question?
Monumental Flailure 0
If one does not understand know have awareness of value grasp appreciate one’s own culture, one likely will not appreciate that of others.
The Blame Game 0
E. J. Montini invites you to play.
Deja Vu All Over Again 0
In a similar vein, David Niose discusses the conditioning. A snippet:
Fear is also a major element in conditioning minds for war. Americans of all ages are often reminded, by their government and the media, that perceived enemies pose a constant danger. The Soviet threat was used to justify military spending and adventurism around the globe for much of the latter twentieth century . . . . More recently, through constant reminders of the “war on terror,” Americans are effectively conditioned to see evildoers as always looming.
