We are constantly being told that American soldiers who serve in wars thousands of miles away on the other side of the world are “fighting for our freedoms.” Without exception, however, there is no evidence that any force we fight can actually attack US territory. So how on earth does that make sense? The truth is, American soldiers fight for one reason: to prop up unpopular dictatorships overseas.
Troops “Fight for Freedom” — Against Whom?
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication, WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal, a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "The Stringer."
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There’s another reason. Sending someone else’s baby boy off to possibly be killed has a nearly sexual thrill to it. And most of the survivors stick up for you! If the Zodiac Killer has any regrets, I bet it’s that no one thanks him for what he did, and no one in the msm tacitly defends him, day after day after day.
US soldiers are stationed in more than 800 military bases outside the country’s borders – and sometimes fight there – in order to put military muscle behind the US elite’s attempt to attain globla hegemony. That project has been ongoing for more than seven decades – but if I read the cards aright, it will soon come to an end, either by these elites accepting the fact of a multipolar world in which they indeed get to decide a great deal, but not quite everything, or by their kicking over the board and launching a conflict which will escalate to a thermonuclear conflagration which will bring the short happy life of H sapiens saiens on this blue planet to an end….
Henri
> So how on earth does that make sense?
Two words: Boot Camp. AKA brain washing.
I actually think the ‘fighting for our freedoms” bit is wearing thin for the general populace. It took decades for the revelation to come in the case of Vietnam; less than a single decade for Iraq.
The thing to fear is when they start getting honest about their intentions, “we wanna kill brown people and take their stuff” … I’m afraid too many of my countrymen will be on board with that one.
I was in the Army and brainwashing is not even close. Most of the guys I served with were smart enough to know what was going on. Everyone just needed a job and a chance to pay for school, there was nobody so ignorant to believe 100% of what we were told.
The problem, as I see it, Kent P, is that the soldiers do the job, even if they don’t believe all – or, indeed, any of – the bullshit that is told them. So until a tipping point is reached – say, Russian soldiers in 1917 – it really doesn’t matter what the troops, qua individuals, think. What say you ?…
Henri
Don’t take this personally, Kent – standing up when your country calls is a good thing, but what your country is doing with our armed forces today is a bad thing.
In WWII very few men actually shot at the enemy, they had been so well civilized that they couldn’t fire at another human being. This, of course, was unacceptable to the top brass. Basic was reworked to strip away some of that civilization to make a more effective fighting machine.
My brother served in ‘nam, and he went to his grave believing that he was fighting for our freedoms. As this is contrary to observable facts, some brainwashing must have occucred somewhere along the line.
Troops fight for the freedom to fight freely.
Still testing, falco posted a bunch of ‘test’ posts on this thread earlier – I responded to KentP above, that’s ‘awaiting moderation’ even tho there were no links, spam, or even cussing.
Glenn – would you be so kind as to reply to *this* post? Comments upon my many shortcomings are strictly optional 😉
I’ve been away for the day.
Hopefully the problem has been resolved by now.
Not offended in the least. There is zero doubt that at 18-21
Year olds are impressionable but to pretend that the Army brainwashes is a bit far fetched, do they push patriotism and esprit de Corp, along with an us bvs them mentality? Of course, they have to it’s a dirty and dangerous profession
> they have to
Why?
If the answer is “because civilized humans don’t commit murder on command or unquestioningly follow orders which could get them killed”
Then we’re not in disagreement, rather simply debating fine points of semantics.
FWIW: Common brainwashing techniques include sleep deprivation, ceaseless repetition, isolation from outside influences, ensuring the subject has little time for introspection, minimizing individual differences in grooming and attire, all while surrounding them with individuals who already exhibit the desired behavior.
I have yet to hear an obviously brainwashed person recognize and openly admit that he’s currently brainwashed.
It’s easier to dupe a man than to convince him that he’s been duped said (in effect) Anti-Imperialist League member Mark Twain.
The brainwashed can’t be expected to be objective about their rationalizations except maybe in retrospect.
I have a hard time believing that mass murder can be mistaken for a socially beneficial act by any other than the sociopathically inclined.
If one knows what one is doing is a crime against humanity and does it anyway, that’s a totally different category than the relatively innocent (naive?) case of being brainwashed.
That’s why for those who awaken later the “VA recognizes September as Suicide Prevention Month”.
https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=5305