Anger expressed out of frustration

Thomas Jefferson, the President and apparent Prophet said in 1816, “Old Europe will have to lean on our shoulders, and to hobble along by our side, under the monkish trammels of priests and kings, as she can. What a colossus shall we be.”

That’s the path we took after WWII when we started spending billions of dollars on the military, 379 Billion a year beginning in 2003, and implementing a draft will only prove what academia has been preaching against for decades. We are a colossus and even worse an Empire nonetheless tyrannical than the British counterpart we revolted against back in the 1700’s. By the way, we are the biggest spender on military issues the second is currently Great Britain at 34.8 billion and then Russian at 29 billion.

The current administration says that we are not an Empire because we have no desire for territory or resources. A few basic motifs of Empire have changed over the millennium but the destruction, the tyranny, and the biggest motives; power and influence have not. With about 130,000 troops in Iraq and 18,000 in Afghanistan and with spending, well who knows the exact amount, but Bush is asking for 80 Billion Dollars more, we are doing in Iraq, we own them and we have all the Influence and power in that region that we could possible need. We certainly don’t set a good example for the world. The rhetoric of the state department is that of peace but Iran is looking at a reenactment of “The Charge of the Light Brigade” written by the Bush Administration. 130,000 US troops to the left of them 18,000 troops to the right of them, 379 Billion Dollars of military spending in front of them; volleyed and thundered.

The reenactment of the Draft will only increase the government’s power to enlarge the Empire. We currently have 73,000 troops in Germany. How many in Asia, Africa, South America? The pentagon is continuing plans behind to scenes developing the Anti Missile defense system a.k.a. Star Wars. How many checks and balances, principles set forth by our founding fathers, are available/needed when the President has a military that costs 10x more than our allies and 300 times that of our enemies, and any and all 18-25 yrs old citizens male and female from the draft at his/her disposal? How much did our founding father’s trust government in all their wisdom? Originally the federal government wasn’t going to have a military. How much do we trust the government despite the politicians’ rhetoric?

Colossus!! The Constitution says that the government has the power, “to provide for the common defense.” So it’s a justifiable argument as far as they are concerned for all this power but first off, how can it be for the Common defense when in a Washington Post Survey 56% over half are against the war in Iraq. Second, when are we going to stop the killing and decide as a country what is in our common defense? Since the war in Iraq began in March 19 2003 1,372 US soldiers have died there. The “official” count of wounded is 10,252 US Soldiers. The unofficial body count of Iraqis, military and civilian, is estimated to be over 15,000 Iraqis. At what point is the killing of others justifiable. 2,948 were reported killed in the terrorist attack on American soil that is now identified as 9/11. It’s a justifiable question to ask. How many of those 15,000 Iraqis were involved in 9/11? How many of those 15,000 Iraqis were terrorists planning attacks on Americans? How many Iraqis were planning to harm America or American citizens’ pre-Iraq war and . . . How many Iraqis are now planning such attacks while we occupy their country?

The draft would help this!? Yeah it would. It would help kill more potentially innocent Iraqis more Afghans and more US troops.

Colossus! Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reports that US military growth accounts for 3/4^th total world military growth. This military is to prevent attacks; not preemptively attack; but how is maintaining this army preventing small terrorist’s cells? It’s designed to maintain an Empire. The WIU Draft Team wants to Draft you to fight terrorism so that the volunteer army can maintain high troop levels across Europe and the world. Instead of the Draft, close those out of date bases and send those troops to the Middle East so we can get out of Iraq ASAP. In fact, let’s leave Iraq, Afghanistan, and basically everywhere else; The Libertarian time table? Now.

Occupying forces in other countries usually fail against terrorists actions. Afghanistan used terrorist tactics against the Soviet Union and succeeded. The Vietnamese used terrorist tactics against the US and succeeded. History relates countless success stories for such tactics and why add Iraq to the list. US leaving would create a political vacuum but any government created under the status quo would have to be propped up by the US anyway and unless our presence is permanent would ultimately fail. The Political Vacuum is necessary and would lead to stability quicker than the US alternative because terrorists wouldn’t have a target, the US, to fight against. Civil War? Why is it our business? The North wouldn’t have been too pleased if Britain fought for the south in our own Civil War. Who would it be this time? The Shiites, Sunni’s, the Kurds? Must we be the ones to flip the coin?

Why are we in Iraq to begin with? WMD? The search for those officially ended last week. Saddam was a bad man? That doesn’t justify the deaths of 1,372 US soldiers over there and not the 10,000+ wounded. Saddam murdered his own people, or rather the Kurds, but we killed over 15,000 of Iraqi’s ourselves. Is that why the WIU Draft team wants to implement the draft? No draft, No Iraq war; not in Afghanistan, not in South America, not in Europe, and therefore no targets for terrorists. By setting a good example, instead of just preaching it, we can implement a foreign policy of non-intervention and forge economic partnerships that are mutually beneficial to all parties and by our example spread Libertarian Ideals that founded this great country.

I don’t buy the rhetoric of common defense as an excuse for the implementation of a draft. Clearly, its propaganda used to disguise government’s true nature: gathering more power and influence. The protection of our borders and of our citizens does not need to cost the lives of others or the rights of others. The cost of our protection rest on basic principles taught in grade school. Play nicely, play fairly, and never mistake might for right. Thank you.