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Forum Post: Monopolizing War? What America Knows How to Do Best

Posted 11 years ago on Sept. 13, 2012, 4:53 p.m. EST by LeoYo (5909)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

Monopolizing War? What America Knows How to Do Best

Thursday, 13 September 2012 11:53 By Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch | Op-Ed

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/11516-monopolizing-war-what-america-knows-how-to-do-best

It's pop-quiz time when it comes to the American way of war: three questions, torn from the latest news, just for you. Here's the first of them, and good luck!

Two weeks ago, 200 U.S. Marines began armed operations in...?:

a) Afghanistan

b) Pakistan

c) Iran

d) Somalia

e) Yemen

f) Central Africa

g) Northern Mali

h) The Philippines

i) Guatemala

.

Turmoil Over Contentious Video Spreads to Yemen and Iran

Thursday, 13 September 2012 09:28 By Nasser Arrabyee and Alan Cowell, The New York Times News Service | Report

http://truth-out.org/news/item/11509-turmoil-over-contentious-video-spreads-to-yemen-and-iran

Sana, Yemen - Turmoil in the Arab world linked to an American-made video denigrating the Prophet Muhammad spread on Thursday to Yemen, where hundreds of protesters attacked the American Embassy, two days after assailants killed the American ambassador in Libya and crowds tried to overrun the embassy compound in Cairo.

News reports also spoke of a separate protest in Tehran, where around 500 Iranians chanting “Death to America” tried to converge on the Swiss Embassy, which handles United States interests in the absence of formal diplomatic relations with Washington. Hundreds of police officers held the crowds back from the diplomatic compound, witnesses said.

.

Middle East Protests at US Embassies Spread in Uproar Over Anti-Muslim US Film

Thursday, 13 September 2012 12:31 By Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, Democracy NOW! | Interview and Video

http://truth-out.org/news/item/11518-middle-east-protests-at-us-embassies-spread-in-uproar-over-anti-muslim-us-film

Protests are spreading in the Middle East over a movie made by a U.S. filmmaker considered blasphemous to Islam. Earlier today, hundreds of Yemeni demonstrators stormed the U.S. embassy in Sana’a, smashing windows and burning cars before breaking through the compound’s main gate. Protests have also occurred in Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Tunisia and Bangladesh, as well as the occupied Gaza Strip. We get updates from journalists Iona Craig in Sana’a and Sharif Abdel Kouddous in Cairo.

.

Gar Alperovitz: "The Pluralist Commonwealth"

Thursday, 13 September 2012 10:37 By Gar Alperovitz, Truthout | Book Excerpt

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/11512-gar-alperovitz-the-pluralist-commonwealth

Alperovitz suggests the "Pluralist Commonwealth" model offers a way to enhance equality, liberty, democracy, economic efficiency, transparency, enterprise accountability and human development.

This Chapter Six, is Part 10 of Truthout's continuing series of excerpts from Gar Alperovitz's "America Beyond Capitalism."

This is an exclusive Truthout series from political economist and author Gar Alperovitz. We will be publishing weekly installments of the new edition of "America Beyond Capitalism," a visionary book, first published in 2005, whose time has come. Donate to Truthout.

Increasing numbers of Americans concerned with equality, liberty and democracy have begun to despair that traditional strategies to achieve the nation's most fundamental values simply no longer work. If corporate capitalism (to say nothing of the socialist model) appears unable to sustain equality, liberty and democracy, is there any conceivable, logically coherent way forward?

40 Comments

40 Comments


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[-] 2 points by shadz66 (19985) 11 years ago

From Tom Engelhardt's article (1st link above) :

"Washington may be mobilized for permanent war. Special operations forces may be operating in up to 120 countries. Drone bases may be proliferating across the planet. We may be building up forces in the Persian Gulf and “pivoting” to Asia. Warrior corporations and rent-a-gun mercenary outfits have mobilized on the country’s disparate battlefronts to profit from the increasingly privatized twenty-first-century American version of war. The American people, however, are demobilized and detached from the wars, interventions, operations, and other military activities done in their name. As a result, 200 Marines in Guatemala, almost 78% of global weapons sales, drones flying surveillance from Australia -- no one here notices; no one here cares. --- War: it’s what we do the most and attend to the least. It’s a nasty combination."

fiat pax ...

[-] 2 points by beautifulworld (23769) 11 years ago

I'm amazed at the sheer quantity and ridiculous locations of the army bases the U.S. has around the world.

[-] 2 points by beautifulworld (23769) 11 years ago

Our military is like a giant fungus across the earth.

What great links. I've only briefly looked at them now, but will spend more time because they are really fascinating. Most Americans are not aware of this and I give Ron Paul credit for spreading the word. I don't agree with him on much, but I agree with him about our military.

[-] 1 points by AliMustafaAhgraib (3) 11 years ago

American like military. i look Wikipedia and they pay many taxes for buy weapons.

[-] 2 points by shadz66 (19985) 11 years ago

I think your name is bogus & your syntax suspect.

temet nosce ...

[-] 1 points by AliMustafaAhgraib (3) 11 years ago

my name Ali. is not bogus.

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (23769) 11 years ago

LOL! He thinks we are so stupid. I'm in agreement and know quite well who it is.

[-] 2 points by shadz66 (19985) 11 years ago

LOLOL !!! I was about to answer the "giant fungus" point but 'Fungus Troll Boy' jumped in with his dodgy moniker ablaze !! Falsely impersonating other groups with comic faux-syntax really borders on 'racial stereotyping' if not 'racism', in my opinion !

ad iudicium ...

[-] 0 points by beautifulworld (23769) 11 years ago

Right! And, I thought he was so "worldly," ya know?

[-] 1 points by shadz66 (19985) 11 years ago

'Trashy' was getting faux-irate today because someone called him racist earlier - et maintenant, voila !!! Gorra go - my 'Friday Night' beckons !! Somewhat ironically - jrhirsch's words momentarily echo in my mind's ear - "don't feed The Troll" ! Lol - tho' of course ...

mea culpa ...

[-] 0 points by beautifulworld (23769) 11 years ago

LOL! Enjoy your evening.

[-] 0 points by beautifulworld (23769) 11 years ago

Not all Americans like the military. Many resent the taxes paid for the purchase of weapons.

[-] 0 points by AliMustafaAhgraib (3) 11 years ago

i grew up beside big US army base. they have black copter and prison there. and many tanks.

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (23769) 11 years ago

Not a great thing to grow up around, if you ask me. Sorry for that.

[-] 1 points by AliMustafaAhgraib (3) 11 years ago

they test mines many times and my village is still poison a lot. why Obama do this?

[-] 0 points by jrhirsch (4714) from Sun City, CA 11 years ago

What's the name of your village? How was it poisoned?

[-] 0 points by beautifulworld (23769) 11 years ago

He has no good reason, that I know.

[-] -1 points by AliMustafaAhgraib (3) 11 years ago

have you been Afġānistān? is my beautiful country.

[-] 1 points by alva (-442) 11 years ago

its a hell hole. and by the way , you're a fake

[-] 1 points by shadz66 (19985) 11 years ago

You got it soldier & you know that name ain't 'Afghan' (Pashtun or otherwise) and is faux-Arabic !!

fiat lux ...

[-] 0 points by AliMustafaAhgraib (3) 11 years ago

Afġānistān is beautiful place!

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (23769) 11 years ago

Okay. I want to see Ali and Podman post at exactly the same time. Humor me.

[-] 1 points by AliMustafaAhgraib (3) 11 years ago

in not know a Podman. here my twitter account if you want follow: http://twitter.com/AliMustafa_

[-] 1 points by beautifulworld (23769) 11 years ago

Please. Give me a break. Give us all a break.

[-] 0 points by beautifulworld (23769) 11 years ago

Oh, I thought you were Indonesian.

[-] 0 points by AliMustafaAhgraib (3) 11 years ago

no, i from Afġānistān.

[Removed]

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 11 years ago

Time and long past time to shift the paradigm. Peace is not promoted/won through the barrel of a gun. It is won/promoted by meeting the needs of people - by ending the causes of strife - like fossil fuel.

[-] 0 points by podman73 (-652) 11 years ago

you can only have true peace when there is no threat. No matter how much you try to convince some that you mean them no harm doesnt mean they feel the same to you. Be nice until its time to not be nice......

[-] 2 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 11 years ago

That is why you set them up to be well off. Clean energy would be a major contribution to any society. Same with clean transportation. But mostly clean cheap and fossil fuel free. End the strife which is the need to create energy.

[-] 0 points by podman73 (-652) 11 years ago

you will never end strife when humans are involved. clean energy is just not up to the par it needs to be im sorry but your fooling your self if you think it is........

[-] 2 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 11 years ago

Whats wrong with a thorium reactor? Whats wrong with liquid metal batteries for power storage and delivery what is wrong with adding in solar panels and wind turbines? What is wrong with collecting sewer gas ( or landfill ) and burning it? What is wrong with burning hydrogen? There is a lot that can be done today to replace the use of fossil fuel.

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 11 years ago

Thanks for the link I bookmarked it.

Funny one of the cons listed was that we are currently using uranium reactors. I say - so what(?) - they get decommissioned and as they do they can be replaced. This current uranium use would not prevent the replacement by thorium use - new power plants reactors(?) thorium - old reactors shut down / decommissioned replace with thorium.

[-] 0 points by podman73 (-652) 11 years ago

nothing is "wrong" with those but do you think theres no down side? energy companies are in the bus. of makeing money with what ever energy source they can, you can buy two of those options and power you house if you want ( i doubt you can afford it) if/when they become cheaper maybe the market (people) will switch. until then oil is king.

[-] 2 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 11 years ago

Well for one thing there is a project - it is called the Hopewell project. They have already built a house that is off the power grid - it makes use of solar power uses Geo-thermal technology for heating and cooling, it creates hydrogen for use in a cars fuel cell. But the thing is the thorium reactors could replace uranium reactors ( safer and cleaner ) the thorium reactors have a much smaller foot print then a uranium reactor. The liquid metal batteries can also be very large - not something for your car - they can easily be the size of shipping containers - you tie them into the power grid and they become storage and distribution points in the system - wind turbines and solar cells can also feed power to the batteries. Power companies could still run the power grid.

[-] 1 points by podman73 (-652) 11 years ago

I worked in geo thermal and believe me there is lots of waste, the state I live in is a big energy state oil/gas wind so unlike many topics on here I do have a good understanding and until it's cheaper to produce it will not become mainstream

[-] 1 points by DKAtoday (33802) from Coon Rapids, MN 11 years ago

Products become cheaper when they go into higher production. This is true of any technology.

[-] 0 points by AlwaysIntoSomething (42) 10 years ago

I'll pick X) All of the Above!

[-] -1 points by yobstreet (-575) 11 years ago

haha... I am the storm king now.