Truthout: War Immemorial Day

[marmar]

TUESDAY 27 MAY 2008



War Immemorial Day
Tuesday 27 May 2008

by: Bill Quigley, t r u t h o u t | Perspective


Memorial Day is not actually a day to pray for US troops who died in action, but rather a day set aside by Congress to pray for peace. The 1950 Joint Resolution of Congress, which created Memorial Day, says, "Requesting the President to issue a proclamation designating May 30, Memorial Day, as a day for a Nation-wide prayer for peace." (64 Stat.158).

Peace today is a nearly impossible challenge for the United States. The US is far and away the most militarized country in the world and the most aggressive. Unless the US dramatically reduces its emphasis on global military action, there will be many, many more families grieving on future Memorial Days.

The US spends over $600 billion annually on our military, more than the rest of the world combined. China, our nearest competitor, spends about one-tenth of what we spend. The US also sells more weapons to other countries than any other nation in the world.

The US has about 700 military bases in 130 countries worldwide, and another 6,000 bases in the US and our territories, according to Chalmers Johnson in his excellent book, "Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic" (2007).

The Department of Defense (DOD) reports nearly 1.4 million active duty military personnel today. Over a quarter of a million are in other countries from Iraq and Afghanistan to Europe, North Africa, South Asia and the rest of the Western Hemisphere. The DOD also employs more than 700,000 civilian employees.

The US has used its armed forces abroad over 230 times, according to researchers at the Department of the Navy Historical Center. Their publications list over 60 military efforts outside the US since World War II. ......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthout.org/article/war-immemorial-day

[bill for obama]

1. I do appreciate your post -

What was it Einstein said - if the 3rd WW gets fought - the 4th WW gets fought with sticks and stones - something like that.

If you ignore the MAAD treatise - that assumption - there is really only one way you avoid it - make the United States SO STRONG - no one would ever pick a fight with us.

If we ever took agreed destruction - or abject fear from some potential adversary away- what is left to constrain it?? Not alot.

A big strong military - it is just insurance. You have life insurance??