1. Signs Point Toward ‘Cataclysmic’ War in Middle East

I would love to hear your opinion on martial Law and American insurgency. After all when this WWIII does blow up, then who's to say what orders will be if we learned anything from situations like Katrina.
How many Soldiers do you really think would stand up against direct orders and protect the civilians here in the US?

[edit on 12-5-2009 by antar]

thanks!! this was actually the first thing i wanted to prepare as an original thread and the main reason why i joined. I plan on preparing one as soon as i can. it may take some time though cause ill have to find links to all the legislation i want to quote.

and Max, yeah no, i dont mind, now if i could just figure out how to look at my friends

to be more on topic, the middle east has been unstable for so long, its not hard to understand why if WWIII started, it would be right here

reply to post by BrainPower


One more link incase you missed this one, it gives you an indication of what the US Governemt may want to do in the event of an escalation of war in the Middle East.

Of course it would be to flush the terrorists out and for our protection and safety, lol.

Kissinger Tells President Medvedev... “By September We’ll Have CONFISCATED ALL PRIVATELY OWNED GUNS..."
March 22, 2009

Kremlin reports on the extraordinary meeting held today between President Medvedev and former United States Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger (under Nixon), James Baker (under Bush Sr.), Charles Shultz (under Regan), former United States Defense Secretary William Perry (under Clinton), and former US Senator and top defense expert Sam Nunn, are stating that the Americans are acknowledging for the first time their acceptance of a New Global Order...

This is an excellent article that is a must read for anyone interested in how it is possible that much more is going on than what most are willing to even acknowledge.


fourwinds10.com...

reply to post by antar


wow, great find!!! and taking the guns away definitely ties into it all. those of us with our eyes open can say that we have seen this coming for a while now. the article sais something to the extent of citizens WANT to give their firearms up though....i think that statement is somewhat false. There are a few states that have started passing laws to the extent of "The Fed's can't mess with the weapons within our stats". That does give me a little peace of mind. Looking at all this stuff we are presented with and knowing that the general public is a herd of sheeple, it kind of seems hopless, but not EVERY politician is for all this crazyness, there are things we can do...for instance, i bugged the crap out of my state reps and im sure many others did too. now we have a law telling the feds to keep their paws off of our guns.

reply to post by antar


Very interesting article. Kissinger holds a lot of power so I always listen when he is sending a message. I think they will be surprised if they try to start removing firearms from the American people.

Originally posted by antar

w3.newsmax.com...

Now I admit that must be a copy from an old issue, yet why did the Editor choose to not place the appropriate date for the issue in his notes?

Both the original article and the editors notes are well worth a read as it is entirely possible that we just may be on the eve of destruction.

Your link has a promo code??? And is very dated... See Seany's post too.

You know times are tight when you try to get people to subscribe to a mag through promo codes posted within forums.

reply to post by DrMattMaddix


First of all when I click on the links in the OP, I get the pages as I intended, and secondly if you see the 'date' on the second link which dates the preparedness mode of the bush administration could you please show me?

Let me enlighten you to what this thread means to me, as we move through 2009, it marks the 70 years of time in order to pay our debt and in the past it generally brings us to wars rather than times of peace.

Face it US owes big time and all the signs point to war in the very near future which will affect Us and its allies.

This is not a frightening moment in time, it is a reality which happens as a biproduct of the individual not taking responsibility.

reply to post by DrMattMaddix


Ok this is the page of the Editors notes, now I JUST recieved the first part as an email from newmax yesterday so that was not dated. What I am seeing here is a direct preparation for war. The 'dated' link adds to my curiosity to who is driving this move into war and of their true agenda for the war.

The Coming War with Iran: 6 Days in Hell!
Newsmax Magazine's blockbuster issue has major cover stories, including an exclusive special report by Newsmax contributing editor and Iran expert Kenneth R. Timmerman, "Six Days to War," which lays out the scenario likely to unfold if the U.S. and Iran go to war.

In Timmerman's report you'll find out why "Six Days to War" could happen sooner than you think — as many American assets are already "in position" for an attack.

Timmerman also details the deadliness and unintended consequences of a U.S. attack against an increasingly militant Iran.

That attack could come sooner than you think.

As the Bush administration ratchets up the pressure, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs says the military option is still on the table and warns Iran that the U.S. can launch massive strikes using Navy and Air power.

The new American commander in the region, Gen. David Petraeus, has also told Congress that Iran is supporting Iraqi insurgents killing Americans. President Bush said in a White House address that Iran, along with al-Qaida, are "two of the greatest threats to America."

Timmerman's report on the looming war with Iran is based on sources including top Israeli intelligence officers, military and political leaders interviewed in Israel and Washington, D.C., and a key planning document — obtained exclusively by Newsmax — developed by the Iranian navy.

Timmerman is the bestselling author of "Countdown to Crisis: The Coming Nuclear Showdown with Iran. His "Six Days to War" report in Newsmax Magazine offers a scenario that represents one likely course a conflict with Iran might take, and explores:

Iran's arsenal, including ballistic missiles, Silkworm anti-ship missiles — and chemical weapons facilities.
The first target of a U.S. strike
How Iran would launch its counterattack
America's military plan, Operation Clean Slate
Hezbollah's response to the war's outbreak — a rain of missiles on Israel
America's secret war power and technology
The "nightmare scenario" — what if Iran already has nuclear weapons?
How the U.S. would use its huge air superiority
Retired Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney's "Big George" scenario to disarm Iran
The war's shocking effect on oil supplies — and oil prices
The repercussions in Iraq
How American strikes could cripple the Iranian navy
The U.S. commando raids that target Iran's missiles
U.S. bunker busters' devastating effect on Iranian nuclear sites
The scenario's surprising end to hostilities
And much more.

The international cartel are looking for an excuse to inflame any and all situations into WWIII. I think thats what Georgia was meant to do. We just can't endure any more suffering at the hands of these insane power blinded madmen. I want galactic justice to befall them swiftly. We need action and help and must ask for this. I'm going to start sending all of my love, light and energy towards the Middle East and picturing protection and freedom from both these domination plans as well as from their own unjust systems, for every child there. We have to stop this with our love, our intent, our spiritual tools, as well as stand up with our fingers or our feet and let the leaders know, we're saing NO!

reply to post by antar


First strike here in the USA? Wait what? Alright, if I may inject my points of temperance onto this, so as not to go too far in the direction of fear and misinformation:

Firstly, the only country really openly in opposition to the United States directly right now is Iran. They have absolutely zero capacity to land anything resembling a missile here in the states. After all you are talking about a country that has tried to pass off the F-5E Tiger II as no less than three different "cutting edge" fighters in the last few years.

While Iran wants nuclear weapons, and delivery systems they are still years away from that goal. The true danger of Iran comes not from their technology, but from the staggering number of irregular partisans they can throw at an invading nation. A ground invasion is pretty much out of the question as it would turn the entire country into a giant Stalingrad-style meat grinder.

However, we have options should we absolutely need to take down Iran, and no they do not include nuclear strike. The militants in power in that country are not nearly as popular as they want us to believe they are. Mr. Ahmadinejad may not be president after the next election. (Yes by the way, Iran has those and does abide by them) We simply could engineer his downfall far easier than we could invade the country. Remember also that the Iranian people are still very much remembering the horrors of war from the Iran-Iraq war 20 years ago. This is not something the average man-on-the-street in Iran wants to see again.

On top of this, I would highly doubt that Russia will do more than make a lot of noise if push does come to shove against Iran. Russia and Iran are not formal allies with a mutual defense pact of any kind. Russia is under absolutely no treaty obligation to lift a finger to help Iran at all. On top of this Putin would have to only be threatened with financial sanctions to retreat into his shell like a Russian nesting doll. The Russian Federation at this point cannot sustain a war longer than a few months at most. As we learned in Georgia, even their best troops are making do with patchwork materials and for all of their vaunted battle prowess, their command structure was shown to be a bumbling mixture of Soviet and Western tactics.

After all of this, while Russia still wishes to be taken seriously as at least a Euro-Asian power, they have become economically dependent upon the European Union, United States and China. These are the three powers that have shown to have the strongest ties to eachother and the greatest incentive to keep large-scale war from breaking out.

Finally and most importantly, the Cold War has pounded the lesson into the world at large that nobody will win the next World War. Mutual assured destruction still applies to the nuclear big boys, and atomic oblivion waits those that would try to bring about limited nuclear strike such as Iran.

In my opinion, Iran and Russia know all of this. They talk big, but notice how they always seem to stop right before they take an action they couldn't get away with. In the end, all of the players have too much to loose to make a war worthwhile for any of them.

reply to post by ProjectJimmy


What are you talking about? Russia is a natural resources power house right now. They have plenty of oil, land, and natural gas. In fact Europe is completely at the mercy of Russia for most of its natural gas. This fact alone makes Russia incredibly powerful. In this day and age of waning natural resources Russia still very much is a powerful nation. They are making money off their natural resources and boosting their economy while the US is pretty much in debt and reliant on other countries.

You're entire post sounds like a bunch of pro American patriotic rhetoric with no basis in facts. If we attacked Iran I hardly doubt Russia nor China would come to their aid militarily. But Russia has invested a lot of money and energy into the Iranian production of nuclear energy. They won't sit idly by and let us completely destroy their hardwork. Plus with the idea of a missile shield in Russia's backyard is enough to start a regional war in the part of the world.

And frankly I don't think the world has learned anything from the cold war. Nuclear war is more probablynow than it ever has been. Why do you think there is all this fuss over missile defense systems.

[edit on 15-5-2009 by Zosynspiracy]

Originally posted by Zosynspiracy
reply to post by ProjectJimmy

 

What are you talking about? Russia is a natural resources power house right now. They have plenty of oil, land, and natural gas. In fact Europe is completely at the mercy of Russia for most of its natural gas. This fact alone makes Russia incredibly powerful. In this day and age of waning natural resources Russia still very much is a powerful nation. They are making money off their natural resources and boosting their economy while the US is pretty much in debt and reliant on other countries.

You're entire post sounds like a bunch of pro American patriotic rhetoric with no basis in facts. If we attacked Iran I hardly doubt Russia nor China would come to their aid militarily. But Russia has invested a lot of money and energy into the Iranian production of nuclear energy. They won't sit idly by and let us completely destroy their hardwork. Plus with the idea of a missile shield in Russia's backyard is enough to start a regional war in the part of the world.

And frankly I don't think the world has learned anything from the cold war. Nuclear war is more probablynow than it ever has been. Why do you think there is all this fuss over missile defense systems.

[edit on 15-5-2009 by Zosynspiracy]

Pro-American rhetoric? That's interesting I'm actually a Canadian, but alright. First and foremost, NATO did wargames this month, in Georgia. Russia huffed and puffed and in the end did nothing. The European Union is building a new gas pipeline south of Russia, and yes Russia does still need the EU's money, badly in fact. Putin's popularity is based not just off of a cult of personality but also by the fact that he has raised the standard of living quite a bit for his people. To do this he has to have markets to sell his natural resources to. While he is sitting on quite a stockpile, he needs to be able to utilize the western markets and China to profit off of them and continue to pull his country out of the Soviet hole.

The Chinese will most likely not fight unless directly challenged and I don't believe anyone is that suicidal. They will however side with whomever brings them the highest return and promises the greatest stability. The PROC has absolutely no interest in seeing any religious nation spread their influence farther. They have been watching with a very wary eye as Islam has become the major religion in Indonesia and spread further across Asia. In the end they do still seriously fear the power that religion can have over their people, and do still subscribe to the Marxist "opiate of the masses" line. They also remember what happened last time another country was allowed to shove opium down the Chinese peoples' gullet.

I would argue that we have learned from the Cold War quite well. No longer do we produce massive new stockpiles of nuclear weapons, and we've decided that an effective arsenal is far smaller than we thought during that pissing contest. However, we are building a limited "missile shield" but this is much more an outgrowth of the Patriot system and AEGIS, over the massive SDI program that Regan wanted.

Finally there is one group that surely remembers the lessons of the Cold War. The Islamic world are loath to allow any Russians troops in their land after what happened in Afghanistan. Many of the Mujihadeen came from Middle Eastern nations, and any condition of a Russo-Iranian alliance would involve the building of Russian bases in Iran, which is something that can never happen based on the tenants of the Iranian Revolution and several standing Fatwas against the Russian military that the Iranian Council Of Guardians are bound to.

reply to post by antar


I sure hope this does not happen - but due to economics around the world it just might so it will lift up the economies - forget the thousands/millions of people that will die - they aren't important compared to the big companies making money!

S and F for you my friend!

Originally posted by Tentickles
There is always conflict in the middle east...

I will say though that tensions seem to be a lot higher than they have been in previous years.

How exactly are tensions a lot higher then in previous years?

The Israel-Iran thing is no longer front page news.
The Israel-Palestine conflict has taken a back seat as well.
Iraq is no longer on the news night in night out.

Why aren't these things front page anymore? Because thing's have calmed down..the sabre rattling has died down..

So I fail to see yours and others logic in stating tensions are higher then previous years, when in previous years there has been bloodshed left right and centre(literally).

That's not to say however that tension wont increase at the drop of a hat, or that tension isn't already there..

Was just thinking about this discussion and wanted to add that if we have our national debt due every 70 years and instead of paying the debt we end up in major wars, then just how close are we to another major one since it is now 2009 the year to pay the piper?

Will we continue to place our military all over the globe or will we start to see them being placed into one area such as the Middle East again? If they continue to be strategically placed does that mean an even greater chance for WWIII?

I know that there are some really smart strategists here that know what is possible so I am just asking.

tenticles was spot on with her comments about the rise in tensions. Look at what NK is pulling right now and how will this play into the future of our safety world wide on multiple levels?

We have been duly warned and yet people seem so surprised when escalations lead to situations like we are facing in Pakistan and N.Korea.

Is this the situation Petraeus is referring to?

From News 10 War and Freedom:

www.youtube.com...

The passion and truth this man speaks is in volumes about how we deny the progress which is lacking after war and slaughter. He states we are not a freer people because of the dead, we are less free! Such a beautiful person who wishes for us to remember, to know that the blood of war does not give us a better life a better world.

lexrex.com...

During his writing career, he had criticized perhaps every type of person or institution either living or dead. But this piece was just a little too hot for his family to tolerate. Since they believed the short narrative would be regarded as sacrilege, they urged him not to publish it. However, Sam was to have the last word, and even the word after that. Having directed it to be published after his death, he said, "I have told the truth in that... and only dead men can tell the truth in this world."

The War Prayer
by Mark Twain [Dictated by Mark Twain [Samuel Clemens] in 1904 in advance of his death in 1910.]
It was a time of great exulting and excitement. The country was up in arms, the war was on, in every breast burned the holy fire of patriotism; the drums were beating, the bands playing, the toy pistols popping, the bunched firecrackers hissing and sputtering; on every hand and far down the receding and fading spread of roofs and balconies a fluttering wilderness of flags flashed in the sun; daily the young volunteers marched down the wide avenue gay and fine in their new uniforms, the proud fathers and mothers and sisters and sweethearts cheering them with voices choked with happy emotion as they swung by; nightly the packed mass meetings listened, panting, to patriot oratory which stirred the deepest depths of their hearts, and which they interrupted at briefest intervals with cyclones of applause, the tears running down their cheeks the while; in the churches the pastors preached devotion to flag and country, and invoked the God of Battles, beseeching His aid in our good cause in outpourings of fervid eloquence which moved every listener. It was indeed a glad and gracious time, and the half dozen rash spirits that ventured to disapprove of the war and cast doubt upon its righteousness straight way got such a stern and angry warning that for their personal safety's sake they quickly shrank out of sight and offended no more in that way.
Sunday morning came – next day the battalions would leave for the front; the church was filled; the volunteers were there, their young faces alight with martial dreams – visions of the stern advance, the gathering momentum, the rushing charge, the flashing sabers, the flight of the foe, the tumult, the enveloping smoke, the fierce pursuit, the surrender! – then home from the war, bronzed heroes, welcomed, adored, submerged in golden seas of glory! With the volunteers sat their dear ones, proud, happy, and envied by the neighbors and friends who had no sons and brothers to send forth to the field of honor, there to win for the flag, or failing, die the noblest of noble deaths. The service proceeded; a war chapter from the Old Testament was read; the first prayer was said; it was followed by an organ burst that shook the building, and with one impulse the house rose, with glowing eyes and beating hearts, and poured out that tremendous invocation:
"God the all-terrible! Thou who ordainest, Thunder thy clarion and lightning thy sword!"
Then came the "long" prayer. None could remember the like of it for passionate pleading and moving and beautiful language. The burden of its supplication was, that an ever-merciful and benignant Father of us all would watch over our noble young soldiers, and aid, comfort, and encourage them in their patriotic work; bless them, shield them in the day of battle and the hour of peril, bear them in His mighty hand, make them strong and confident, invincible in the bloody onset; help them to crush the foe, grant to them and to their flag and country imperishable honor and glory – An aged stranger entered and moved with slow and noiseless step up the main aisle, his eyes fixed upon the minister, his long body clothed in a robe that reached to his feet, his head bare, his white hair descending in a frothy cataract to his shoulders, his seamy face unnaturally pale, pale even to ghastliness. With all eyes following and wondering, he made his silent way; without pausing, he ascended to the preacher's side and stood there, waiting. With shut lids the preacher, unconscious of his presence, continued his moving prayer, and at last finished it with the words, uttered in fervent appeal, "Bless our arms, grant us victory, O Lord our God, Father and Protector of our land and flag!"
The stranger touched his arm, motioned him to step aside – which the startled minister did – and took his place. During some moments he surveyed the spellbound audience with solemn eyes, in which burned an uncanny light; then in a deep voice he said:
"I come from the Throne – bearing a message from Almighty God!" The words smote the house with a shock; if the stranger perceived it he gave no attention. "He has heard the prayer of His servant your shepherd, and will grant it if such be your desire after I, His messenger, shall have explained to you its import – that is to say, its full import. For it is like unto many of the prayers of men, in that it asks for more than he who utters it is aware of – except he pause and think.
"God's servant and yours has prayed his prayer. Has he paused and taken thought? Is it one prayer? No, it is two – one uttered, the other not. Both have reached the ear of Him Who heareth all supplications, the spoken and the unspoken. Ponder this – keep it in mind. If you would beseech a blessing upon yourself, beware! lest without intent you invoke a curse upon a neighbor at the same time. If you pray for the blessing of rain upon your crop which needs it, by that act you are possibly praying for a curse upon some neighbor's crop which may not need rain and can be injured by it.
"You have heard your servant's prayer – the uttered part of it. I am commissioned of God to put into words the other part of it – that part which the pastor – and also you in your hearts – fervently prayed silently. And ignorantly and unthinkingly? God grant that it was so! You heard these words: 'Grant us victory, O Lord our God!' That is sufficient. The whole of the uttered prayer is compact into those pregnant words. Elaborations were not necessary. When you have prayed for victory you have prayed for many unmentioned results which follow victory – must follow it, cannot help but follow it. Upon the listening spirit of God the Father fell also the unspoken part of the prayer. He commandeth me to put it into words. Listen!
"O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle – be Thou near them! With them – in spirit – we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with hurricanes of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it – for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen."
[After a pause.] "Ye have prayed it; if ye still desire it, speak! The messenger of the Most High waits."
It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said.

About the Author: Major General Smedley D. Buttler USMC Retired, has offered this free online publication and is a critical read for those who want the hard cold facts and not the pomp and circumstance spoon fed to the sleeping masses.

This two time Congressional Medal of Honor recipient tells it like it is and wants nothing more than honor to be the foundation of our Great Nation with the highest reguard for all people and not just the priviledged few, the small handfull who alone benifit from the drums of war.



CHAPTER ONE

WAR IS A RACKET

WAR is a racket. It always has been.

It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.

A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes.

In the World War [I] a mere handful garnered the profits of the conflict. At least 21,000 new millionaires and billionaires were made in the United States during the World War. That many admitted their huge blood gains in their income tax returns. How many other war millionaires falsified their tax returns no one knows.

How many of these war millionaires shouldered a rifle? How many of them dug a trench? How many of them knew what it meant to go hungry in a rat-infested dug-out? How many of them spent sleepless, frightened nights, ducking shells and shrapnel and machine gun bullets? How many of them parried a bayonet thrust of an enemy? How many of them were wounded or killed in battle?

Out of war nations acquire additional territory, if they are victorious. They just take it. This newly acquired territory promptly is exploited by the few – the selfsame few who wrung dollars out of blood in the war. 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.

For a great many years, as a soldier, I had a suspicion that war was a racket; not until I retired to civil life did I fully realize it. Now that I see the international war clouds gathering, as they are today, I must face it and speak out.

Again they are choosing sides. France and Russia met and agreed to stand side by side. Italy and Austria hurried to make a similar agreement. Poland and Germany cast sheep's eyes at each other, forgetting for the nonce [one unique occasion], their dispute over the Polish Corridor.

The assassination of King Alexander of Jugoslavia [Yugoslavia] complicated matters. Jugoslavia and Hungary, long bitter enemies, were almost at each other's throats. Italy was ready to jump in. But France was waiting. So was Czechoslovakia. All of them are looking ahead to war. Not the people – not those who fight and pay and die – only those who foment wars and remain safely at home to profit.

There are 40,000,000 men under arms in the world today, and our statesmen and diplomats have the temerity to say that war is not in the making.

Hell's bells! Are these 40,000,000 men being trained to be dancers?

Not in Italy, to be sure. Premier Mussolini knows what they are being trained for. He, at least, is frank enough to speak out. Only the other day, Il Duce in "International Conciliation," the publication of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said:

"And above all, Fascism, the more it considers and observes the future and the development of humanity quite apart from political considerations of the moment, believes neither in the possibility nor the utility of perpetual peace... War alone brings up to its highest tension all human energy and puts the stamp of nobility upon the people who have the courage to meet it."

Undoubtedly Mussolini means exactly what he says. His well-trained army, his great fleet of planes, and even his navy are ready for war – anxious for it, apparently. His recent stand at the side of Hungary in the latter's dispute with Jugoslavia showed that. And the hurried mobilization of his troops on the Austrian border after the assassination of Dollfuss showed it too. There are others in Europe too whose sabre rattling presages war, sooner or later.

Herr Hitler, with his rearming Germany and his constant demands for more and more arms, is an equal if not greater menace to peace. France only recently increased the term of military service for its youth from a year to eighteen months.

Yes, all over, nations are camping in their arms. The mad dogs of Europe are on the loose. In the Orient the maneuvering is more adroit. Back in 1904, when Russia and Japan fought, we kicked out our old friends the Russians and backed Japan. Then our very generous international bankers were financing Japan. Now the trend is to poison us against the Japanese. What does the "open door" policy to China mean to us? Our trade with China is about $90,000,000 a year. Or the Philippine Islands? We have spent about $600,000,000 in the Philippines in thirty-five years and we (our bankers and industrialists and speculators) have private investments there of less than $200,000,000.

Then, to save that China trade of about $90,000,000, or to protect these private investments of less than $200,000,000 in the Philippines, we would be all stirred up to hate Japan and go to war – a war that might well cost us tens of billions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of lives of Americans, and many more hundreds of thousands of physically maimed and mentally unbalanced men.

Of course, for this loss, there would be a compensating profit – fortunes would be made. Millions and billions of dollars would be piled up. By a few. Munitions makers. Bankers. Ship builders. Manufacturers. Meat packers. Speculators. They would fare well.

Yes, they are getting ready for another war. Why shouldn't they? It pays high dividends.

But what does it profit the men who are killed? What does it profit their mothers and sisters, their wives and their sweethearts? What does it profit their children?

What does it profit anyone except the very few to whom war means huge profits?

Yes, and what does it profit the nation?

Take our own case. Until 1898 we didn't own a bit of territory outside the mainland of North America. At that time our national debt was a little more than $1,000,000,000. Then we became "internationally minded." We forgot, or shunted aside, the advice of the Father of our country. We forgot George Washington's warning about "entangling alliances." We went to war. We acquired outside territory. At the end of the World War period, as a direct result of our fiddling in international affairs, our national debt had jumped to over $25,000,000,000. Our total favorable trade balance during the twenty-five-year period was about $24,000,000,000. Therefore, on a purely bookkeeping basis, we ran a little behind year for year, and that foreign trade might well have been ours without the wars.

It would have been far cheaper (not to say safer) for the average American who pays the bills to stay out of foreign entanglements. For a very few this racket, like bootlegging and other underworld rackets, brings fancy profits, but the cost of operations is always transferred to the people – who do not profit.

www.lexrex.com...

This is an excellent video clip from 1964 Starring Julie Andrews and James Garner entitled "The Americanization of Emily" Watch this rivoting scene as James explains to Julies Mother why it is heroic to be a coward.:

www.youtube.com...

"American intelligence."

I can't help but scoff sarcasticly at this ridiculous combination of words, whose mere concept is a blatant insult to the rest of this planet, from the smartest academic right down to the lowest singular cell lifeform.

These are just two words that cannot even be used truthfully in the same sentence, usless the prefix "un" used with the word intelligence.

As we move ever closer to a conflict in the middle east, a major confrontation as we send the next 30,000 troops into battle against the propaganda machine, perhaps divine intervention can stop it before it gets too out of control.

What say you? Time to have your act together.