Forum Post: US Wars steal from the 99%
Posted 13 years ago on Nov. 17, 2011, 6:55 a.m. EST by bklynboy
(77)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Now Obama is building a new military base in Australia, to counter the "Chinese Threat." The US has over 1000 bases around the world. No other country does this. What would the US do if China built a base in South America? We spend almost more than the rest of the world combined on military and war. Everything is cut except the war budget. America crumbles because there is no money to create jobs, save our homes and lower taxes.
Americans were warned about the power of the military-industrial complex several times before.
When you have the largest war-making machine in the world, it can't be left to rot. It needs war to ensure growth and prosperity for its makers.
The only thing you can possibly do with such a massive machine is to bring everyone home and put them to work re-building your buggered bridges and roads and other infrastructure.
Can't be simply sending all those grunts to the poor house. Gotta have something for them to do when they get home.
Great idea: nation building at home and pay off Americans instead of Afghans and mercenaries.
Israeli paper Israel-Ayom reports today about a new ‘US Congressional bill’ that would require the “American administration to support Israel in a move deemed necessary to defend itself against the Iranian nuclear threat.” The full article is here: http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/11/17/in-case-you-don%E2%80%99t-realise-how-dangerous-the-jewish-lobby-is/
If America kicks out Israel ( Zionism ) from his politicians the world will be a better place to live..
Out of line. They make their own problems from fanaticism and refusal to compromise also for political reasons and want to drag the US down too. They threaten congressmen with their voting block.
Like that idea. Think of what the trillions of dollars spent on that war could have done if soldiers were instead used to rebuild infrastructure or get training to do things that help our country like teach children, manufacture American made goods, etc.
That's why China and others will eventually surpass the US.
I want the soldiers in health care
This government has a dream: The World Autocracy. It has nothing to with us, the People; we have already been put under control: the American dream; sweet dreams to all of us.
don't forget about our perpetual domestic wars being waged against our own people....
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=US#/watch?v=cEXtNM7Lf0o
what does this link show?
The cost of the war on drugs and that its s waste.
YES! The criminal justice system knows this but doesn't care because like the MIC, they're making too much money from it. Drugs should be decriminalized; they'll get them anyway and billions for prisons and courts and enforcement can build America instead.
yep
The cost for our Empire is staggering. The military industrial complex continues to drain our economy and pull us in the wrong direction. Obama keeps feeding this. It is our money, our country and we can't afford this strategy. http://deathandtaxesposter.com/
Exactly! Obama Change you can believe in. More and expanded Bush policies. Dems and repubs are the same: unlimited military, deregulation and tax breaks for the rich. Fire'em all!.
By looking at that poster; it;s easy to see that the US is an Empire. Thanx
Here is a strategy we can afford: http://www.osixs.org/Rev2_menu_commonsense.aspx
The United States is making the very same mistake as the Roman empire.
Nearly four decades before the birth of Christ, the Roman orator Cicero offered this sound advice: "The budget should be balanced, public debt should be reduced, the treasury should be rebuilt, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and assistance to foreign hands should be curtailed, lest Rome fall."
Instead of this failed foreign policy of world expansion, I think saving the Republic of the U.S. would be a much better plan.
O' where is our Cicero?
OMG! I never heard it said better. Ron Pawl? Huntsman?
AIPAC, the Israel lobby, forces bill to block Obama or the government to enter diplomatic talks with Iran, to force a war.
It reads:
(c) RESTRICTION ON CONTACT. -- No person employed with the United States Government may contact in an official or unofficial capacity any person that -- (1) is an agent, instrumentality, or official of, is affiliated with, or is serving as a representative of the Government of Iran; and (2) presents a threat to the United States or is affiliated with terrorist organizations. (d) WAIVER. -- The President may waive the requirements of subsection (c) if the President determines and so reports to the appropriate congressional committees 15 days prior to the exercise of waiver authority that failure to exercise such waiver authority would pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the vital national security interests of the United States. What does this mean?
It means that neither the president, the Secretary of State nor any U.S. diplomat or emissary may engage in negotiations or diplomacy with Iran of any kind unless the president convinces the "appropriate Congressional committees" (most significantly, the House Foreign Affairs Committee which is an AIPAC fiefdom) that not engaging with Iranian contacts would present an "an unusual and extraordinary threat to the vital national security interests of the United States."
To call this unprecedented is an understatement. At no time in our history has the White House or State Department been restricted from dealing with representatives of a foreign state, even in war time.
If President Roosevelt wanted to meet with Hitler, he could have and, of course, he did repeatedly meet with Stalin. During the Cold War, U.S. diplomats maintained continuous contacts with the Soviets, a regime that murdered tens of millions and, later, with the Chinese regime which murdered even more. And they did so without needing permission from Congress. (President Nixon was only able to normalize relations with China by means of secret negotiations which, had they been exposed, would have been torpedoed by the Republican right.)
But all the rules of normal statecraft are dropped when it comes to Iran which may, or may not, be working on developing a nuclear capacity. Of course if it is, it is obviously even more critical that the American government officials speak to Iranian counterparts.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mj-rosenberg/us-iran-israel_b_1074058.html
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This is insanity: no diplomacy or communication to avoid war from fanatic Israel right and US right. Should be thrown out but Dems vote for it too. Throw them all out.
I agree. Thanks for bringing up the war issue. It should be as, or more important than the corporations issues, since it makes us a target for terrorism.
The good news is that #Occupy AIPAC is coming in March.
http://www.moveoveraipac.org/2011/11/save-the-date-occupy-aipac-not-palestine/
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Yes, all the terrorism is blowback for our occupying countries. This is just what Bin Ladden wanted.
Building a new military base in Australia plus 1000 bases around the world is the same concept of corporations setting up manufacturing all over the world. Global government and global economy hand in hand.
yes, war for profits. The money should go to the 99% and build America.
They do not care about America;s citizens.
You're right. America exists solely to feed the military budget.
We need a wholesale changeout and cleansing of the Government. This won't, nor can't happen while we are still trying to figure out which individuals in either party are the lesser of two evils. We have to gain enough momentum that in the next election cycle we are not choosing from a list of 1%ers.
"Naturally , the common people do not want war....but after all it is the leaders of a country that determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a facist dictatorship, or a parliment, or a communist dictatorship. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country." ~Hermann Goering
WoW! The same scary bullshit they're doing today. Also shown in Michael Moore's Farhenheit 9/11. Scare the people and a blank check to unneeded war.
On Jan 4th, 2011 a poll released by "60 minutes" showed that 81% of Americans favored taxing the rich and/or cutting military spending as the best way to cut our deficit. Only 3% recommended cutting Social Security.
But who cares? Our government does not represent the People anymore. It has its own agenda towards autocracy: the world domination.
Congress is controlled by the military-industrial-lobby complex for profits. The 99% must vote out the whores, both parties.
I 100% agree. I think everyone must watch this video to learn who the PUPPET MASTER is. Our politicians are controlled by the Puppet Master, they are ALL (with an exception of just a few) are Puppets.
G. Edward Griffin, "The Collectivist Conspiracy" [1:25 hr]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAdu0N1-tvU
And the Puppet master is: "CFR: Consul on Foreign Relations" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_on_Foreign_Relations).
Many good points. It all boils down to war for money, win or lose, endless war.
In fact, war is called non-paying debt (as opposed to investment debt; such as education or business credit). And let us make no mistake: that debt will be our debt or our children's debt 's as austerity measures.
I 100% agree again. WE MUST STOP THESE UNJUST WARS. CUT DEFENSE BUDGET AT LEAST BY HALF.
Wall St. is just a component of our problems. OWS should focus on the unlimited military budget, the root of all our problems.
Wall St. is really "the" biggest enemy. They create money and control money supply. If you would know how governments create debt, you would agree with me. Fed and its monetary system (called debt-money) is by far the greatest Ponzi scheme human mind ever devised.
Please check out my previous posts and their references (if you haven't reviewed those references before) what I mean.
[1] http://occupywallst.org/forum/to-all-ows-supporters-worldwide-one-unified-demand
[2] http://occupywallst.org/forum/government-of-the-world-you-know-it-we-know-it-sto
These wars just benefit a few.
Yes. Even the countries we "save" suffer, and get addicted to taxpayer money we throw at them.
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CANBERRA, Australia — President Obama announced Wednesday that the United States planned to deploy 2,500 Marines in Australia to shore up alliances in Asia, but the move prompted a sharp response from Beijing, which accused Mr. Obama of escalating military tensions in the region.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/world/asia/obama-and-gillard-expand-us-australia-military-ties.html?pagewanted=all
escalting military tension in that region is news to me
It seems the US is the escalator in this case
Yes. With the middle east winding down, SUDDENLY there is an Asian threat. Just keep pouring money into the MIC.
I think they want to police Afghanistan heroin trade to China
ANYTHING to use the troops and spend military money.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9WVZddH9w
Interesting points but too long.
I agree. The US doesn't need any more military bases. I am disappointed in the Australian government. I am already way beyond being disappointed in our government. Obama is more worried about the Chinese when things are falling apart in the US. On this course, he won't have a US or other interests to defend. Furthermore, I would like to submit that the 99% should avoid joining the military. Let the 1% fight their own wars!!! Many a man and woman have served this country only to be denied employment by the unpatriotic 1%. I say, let them fight their own wars.
Now libraries around the US are being cut, but NEVER cut the military budget. The founding fathers wanted an informed, educated population. We've even moved from that. That's what the MIC wants: uninformed masses, scared into endless wars.
Australia will be a good TDY for our soldiers. Plenty of beaches. Nice Australian babes.
And hundreds of millions of taxpayer money will go there for base rent , supplies and expansion.
Careful now! You are criticizing the OWS god. Obama and his party can do no wrong.
Dems and republicans are the same in different wrappers: same goals, policies, etc.
Too true. But there are a lot of people that don't believe that.
Unfortunately, Fox "news" financed by the Kochs, is half the country's source.
They are not building a military base. They are acquiring accessing rights to an existing Australian military base.
And significantly expanding it.
It's being expanded to fit them, yes.
And adding thousands of US troops. Many millions spent to pay off Australia: rent, supplies, etc., with tax dollars that can build America instead.
Yeah about 2500.
What would the US do if China made a base in the Caribbean? We always provoke for endless war.
I smell Bay of Pigs. However let me remind you that US military activity in the Asia-pacific is not new. The US has long since had military bases in Kazakhstan, Japan and South Korea, all of which are MUCH closer to Chinese soil. I do think the US is very confrontational, however this is no new thing.
Yes, witness Clinton's statements in China's face that we will interfere in its region. Especially Taiwan, a runaway provence.
Remember that China conducted missile tests and military exercises close to the Taiwanese during their 1996 election. China is also becoming increasingly aggressive. Also as other examples of their expansion: naval expansions into the Indian ocean. Chinese warships passing extremely close to Okinawa through international waters. China's claim over most of the South China sea, even though many countries in the area claim sovereignty over sections of it. Claims from the Phillipines that Chinese ships have harassed their survey vessels and fishing boats in the region. Sorry for the laundry list, however it shows China's increasing assertiveness (perhaps aggression?) in the region. Not trying to justify the United States' actions, however.
Natural to assert in your neighborhood. look how the US reconfigured the Western hemisphere to its satisfaction by overthrowing governments, supporting revolutions, military intervention, assassinations, etc.
I know the US does all this and more, however it does not negate China's increasing military aggression. It's not natural to assert in your own neighbourhood. It would seem that if it were, invading your neighbour could be justified in this way.
I agree. It seems a nation will flex until it is stopped.
Are we in war in far east or planning one?
Making up statistics does not help your cause. There are around 300 major US bases in the World, including the ones within our borders. Government funding doesn't create jobs, not being lazy and bettering yourself does.
More than 1000 US Bases and/or Military Installations. The main sources of information on these military installations (e.g. C. Johnson, the NATO Watch Committee, the International Network for the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases) reveal that the US operates and/or controls between 700 and 800 military bases Worldwide. In this regard, Hugh d’Andrade and Bob Wing's 2002 Map 1 entitled "U.S. Military Troops and Bases around the World, The Cost of 'Permanent War'", confirms the presence of US military personnel in 156 countries. The US Military has bases in 63 countries. Brand new military bases have been built since September 11, 2001 in seven countries. In total, there are 255,065 US military personnel deployed Worldwide. http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=5564