Apr. 15, 2011 (CounterPunch.org) -- It's a seemingly impossible task and, even if it is seriously attempted, it is a task that will require the commitment of many more than are currently engaged. Those who join in the endeavor will find themselves up against some of the most powerful and ruthless human, governmental and corporate entities in the history of the planet. It is a task that cannot be accomplished by merely going after the primary target. Indeed, the task can only be completed once those involved understand the complicity of the entire nation. This includes our own individual complicity.
The Pentagon pretends that civilians control it. This is malarkey. The Pentagon controls the civilian government. Solely by the amount of money it commands, the Pentagon controls Congress. Its tentacles reach into almost every sector of the economy. From napkins used by GIs in the deserts of Iraq to cruise missiles exploding in the Libyan sky; from the manufacturers of predator drone parts to the Climate Initiative Lockheed and city officials are trying to impose on the people of the city of Burlington, Vermont, the industry of war is what drives the US economy. There is a reason why Washington spends more on "defense" (read "war" and its associated evils) than the rest of the world's capitals combined. That reason, to put it succinctly, is that the US economy exists to make war. (For a concise and current look at the nature of the war-based economy in the US, I suggest reading Andrew Cockburn's article "Why the US Defense Budget Soars, Even as Military Shrinks" in the March 16, 2011 edition of the Counterpunch print newsletter-Ron J.)
Even when there is no war, the combined efforts of the Pentagon advertising machine and the politicians earning their war lobby dollars has enough of the US public convinced that tax dollars should be spent preparing for the next war. This perception plays not only on the fear of a belligerent Other, but also on the everyday citizen's understanding of how politics works. Those among the populace who oppose war and its accompanying economy are left without an effective voice precisely because politicians understand that the way to reelection goes through the Pentagon.
Recently, a couple protests against the wars in Central Asia and North Africa were held in the United States. The attendance at both was sparse. Much of this can be attributed to the fact that George Bush is no longer running the wars. Instead, it is the Democrat's turn to lead the charge up the latest version of San Juan Hill. Or, to put it differently, this time Barack Obama and his party are heading towards the shores of Tripoli. Given the misconception during the Bush years that Barack Obama and the Democratic Party were against the war in Iraq, the fact that the US continues to fight there and in a few other nations (most obviously Afghanistan and Libya) means that many liberals who were against the wars when Bush ran them are now, at best, neutral about them. Another less acknowledged reason for the lack of participation in the antiwar protests can be summed up with the words disgust and despair. Disgust that the supposed antiwar candidate is as much of a warmonger (and a liar about it to boot) and despair that there is truly nothing that anybody can do about it. It is this latter fact which needs to be addressed, yet isn't.
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