Thoughts on Patriotism, Bill of Rights, Geo. Washington and ......

[Harve Curry]

Thoughts on Patriotism, Bill of Rights, Geo.Washington, Iraq War ......

This could be a flaming hot topic.
What are others thoughts on THR about this?
Among my thoughts or beliefs are this:

I believe in the United States

Patriotism is a invention for decieptful alterior motives, it predates recorded history.

George Washington when he said stay out of foriegn entanglements.

Most of Thomas Jefferson's writings.

Maj.Gen. Smedley Butler, USMC, writings; "War is a Racket"

Dwight Eisenhour's famous qoute " beware the industrial military complex".

The US Constitution & Bill of Rights. We don't defend it strongly enough.

Iraq War or war in general, it's a hard sell to me.

Lincoln when he said .."who gave the last full measure of devotion"... ,
although I'm not sure of how he really felt about the consequences of his actions.
But those words are the most accurate description of what our soldiers do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is some interesting points of view in an old James Stewart movie "Shennandoa" (1960/62?). Where Stewart loses his temper and explains to the Confederate officer who is trying to recruit Stewart's sons for Virginia, saying "Virginia needs all of her sons", Stewart replies with words to the effect "I didn't see Virginia coming around with a spare tit when I was raising those boys."

 

[lostone1413]

The leaders of today are nothing like the founding fathers. The wars are fought the give the Elite more power and for the sake of making more money. Never do we get in a war for the reason the goverment wants us to think we did.

 

[Fletchette]

I believe in the United States

I do too, at least the ideals. The actual chunk of geography is irrelevant.

Patriotism is a invention for decieptful alterior motives, it predates recorded history.

I only partially agree, and it may have more to do with semantics. I have always thought that nationalism ( a love of one's nation, language, culture, cooking recipies, etc.) was dangerous, whereas patriotism ( belief in the nations ideals, such as "Freedom of Speech" and "The Right to Keep and Bear Arms...") was noble.

George Washington when he said stay out of foriegn entanglements.

Washington wanted us to stay out of entangeling treaties, like NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO, etc. He was dead on about that. As far as simply ignoring the rest of the world, Washington advised against that. The Founders were clearly well-travelled men and recognized the fact that we had to be aware and participate in world events. As an example, they recognized the need to fight religious Muslim zealots in the Middle East (Barbary Pirates) very quickly.

Most of Thomas Jefferson's writings.

Agreed.

Maj.Gen. Smedley Butler, USMC, writings; "War is a Racket"

Someone always makes a profit during war.

Dwight Eisenhour's famous qoute " beware the industrial military complex".

Yes. I have to acknowledge the influence of large corporations that are totally dependent on government spending. However, in the age of strategic weapons, how else should the government maintain the nation's defenses?

Lincoln when he said .."who gave the last full measure of devotion"... ,
although I'm not sure of how he really felt about the consequences of his actions. But those words are the most accurate description of what our soldiers do.

The Gettysberg Address is one of my favorite speeches. It definitely brought into focus the reason the nation was fighting the Civil War.

 

[Harve Curry]

Maj. Gen. Smedley Darlington Butler, USMC, 1881-1940

I find there is a Smedley Butler Society, here's the link:
http://warisaracket.org/dedication.html
click on 'next' for pages of his writings and others:

This man was amazing and by his deeds and his words, he should be taught in the schools.

He won two Medals of Honor. After 33 years & 4 months in the Marine Corp he spoke his mind. His thoughts are as relevant today as they were 70 years ago. I do not believe a man alive today could win an argument against this mans logic backed up by his experiences, war record, statistics and numbers.
for example:
War is a racket!
...." In the World War, we used propaganda to make the boys accept conscription. They were made to feel ashamed if they didn't join the army. So vicious was this war propaganda that even God was brought into it. With few exceptions our clergymen joined in the clamor to kill, kill, kill. To kill the Germans. God is on our side . . . it is His will that the Germans be killed. And in Germany, the good pastors called upon the Germans to kill the allies . . . to please the same God."

...""The general public shoulders the bill. And what is this bill? This bill renders a horrible accounting. Newly placed gravestones. Mangled bodies. Shattered minds. Broken hearts and homes. Economic instability. Depression and all its attendant miseries. Back-breaking taxation for generations and generations."

In the United States a relatively small number of corporate puppets, which some call a cult, control our national military policy.

This policy is to finance and maintain a large, expensive military force and to use it whenever fancy strikes in foreign lands we barely knew existed.

The principal purpose of this predatory serial warfare is to increase corporate profits to obscene levels.

However, this same policy exacts a cruel burden on those who carry it out and are otherwise subject to it. Many are murdered and injured in the name of some dubious cause. Our lives are impoverished.

A small group of people operating in secret to promote an enterprise which benefits the few at the expense of the many constitutes a racket.

US Steel pre WWI profits $105,000,000 a year, 1914-1918 $240,000,000.
Anaconda " " " $ 10,000,000 " " " " $34,000,000.
Utah Copper" " " $ 5,000,000 " " " " $21,000,000.
Central Leather" " $1,167,000 " " " " $15,000,000.
Gen.Chemical " " $800,000" " " " $12,000,000.
Int'l Nickle Co." " $4,000,000" " " " $73,000,000.
Amer. Sugar " " $2,000,000" " " " $ 6,000,000.
Eight pairs of boots made for every US soldier in France and they didn't have enough to wear. McClellan saddles and no US Cavalry horses in France.
200% to 2000% is much better then peace time profits of 5 to 10%.
All the manufacturers got paid whether or not the goods went to the troops.
6,000 buckboard wagons were sold and not 1 used.
The list goes on and on.

And war is the most profitable racket in the world!

And this from the Vietnam War;
McNamara didn't appreciate the advice offered by another Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient, General David Shoup, and had him removed as Commandant.
General Shoup said: I believe that if we had, and would, keep our dirty, bloody, dollar soaked fingers out of the business of these (third World) nations, so full of depressed, exploited people, they will arrive at a solution of their own. And if unfortunately their revolution must be of the violent type, because the 'haves' refuse to share with the 'have nots' by any peaceful method, at least what they get will be their own, and not American style, which they don't want and, above all, don't want crammed down their throats by Americans."

2002-2005 : Wartime annual profits have increased dramatically in two years from their previous levels (2002 to 2004): Top five US banks, up 37%; top five armaments, up 74%; top three oil, up 145% (!!!). Exxon Mobil, for example, enjoys quarterly profits of about eight billion dollars.

There is just so much testimony and evidence from accomplished, highly decorated soldiers that maybe we should listen to them. They have nothing to loose except their good name and I suspect they value that more then money. Maybe we should heed what these old soldiers have to say.

 

[lostone1413]

I agree! The Elite fight wars to incress their wealth at the expense of the common man. I can't think of a war we would ever have got into if the people knew all the facts