How many TBPer’s remember actually listening to Dwight Eisenhower’s speech on the major task of the day as he closed down his Presidency? I do not mean really hearing the speech, not a recording, a playback, a transcription of the speech BUT LISTENED TO IT?? In real time.
Not a whole bunch besides us old timers I suspect – me, SSS, you know, pre-boomer generation(s) — (the “s” because there aren’t much left of the Pre-Silents around!)..
Well, let me tell you, that immoral immortal complex – over 54 years later (Eisenhower’s address was on January 17, 1961), is alive and well and our ever more efficient killing machines are still in use around the world of men, women and children – a few soldiers here an there – doesn’t matter to a heavy 100 mm mortar round or a 105 mm tank round whipping through the wall of a room that is house and home to four families including kids and pets (that haven’t been eaten yet!).
So now, the latest jingoism in “saving the world” is for the United States – which happens to be the largest, most efficient and effective arms manufacturer and distributor in the world will now furnish “NATO” (which stands for “North Americans’ Timid Organization”) with all manner of airplanes, 250+ tanks, armored attack and personnel carriers, rifles, machine guns, missiles all accompanied by a full Brigade (5,000 plus “Commandos” (i.e. Special Forces)) which will form a “new” Fast Response Force and probably half as many Technical Representatives from the various weapons manufacturers to keep all that hardware functional.
Now remember the word “furnish”. Are any of our European Members going to chip in a EU dime equivalent to purchase any of this largess? Will they furnish any “Commandos” of their own to use this mass of weaponry should it be required if Russia draws a bead on Estonia, Latvia, Belarus, Western Ukraine or Poland? Not so as I can detect. They will donate sufficient land on which to base and warehouse these forces, and since it’s always much better to fight wars on someone else turf than your own, I suppose that counts for something.
Of course we already have over 65,000 military troops stationed throughout Europe to furnish all the bodies necessary to die if an actual Russian push into through Estonia into Poland includes tanks. Wouldn’t want any EU members of “North America’s Timid Organization” to skin a knuckle, now would we.
So, who is paying the U.S. Military/Industrial Complex for all this construction work, manufacturing, on site support facilities, shipping of all this stuff and the large overhead that rides atop the pile?
Why, you and I, of course. Same old, same old. Treasury printing debt, bought by TBTF Banks, cash handed back to the Federal Government to spend, the Treasury debt (now magically transformed into an asset) deposited in the Federal Reserve at interest and the cash merry-go round flings off sufficient funds to buy it all, regardless of price. Kinda like Obummercare (which the Supreme Court who just ruled is quite legal since Congress is the one passing the laws).
The tar and feather buckets just keep getting larger and larger and rag mop business (with which to apply said tar and feathers) is booming.
The whole theme here of the Europeans getting off scot-free with a fully-provided defense force misses the point. NATO is an occupying force. The Europeans are the US’ theater for hosting WW3 against Russia. This is no free lunch. This is a hostage crisis.
Admin.You have presented a lot of material to read. I get a bad kind of frantic feeling that folks get right before a lot of bad shit occurs. I think even the really brain dead smell something bad when it comes to the Ukraine. Add in some stinking trade deal.(tpp) Yep,,sending jobs away to even poorer places than China. Not many want to live on the idea that our country only has the ability to kill people really good as our main deal. Should we even be involved? I s starting to even be thought on by the unwashed masses. It all seem’s to be going to Hell,Fasst!
WTF did I just read? It was slightly less coherent than “the sky is falling!! the sky is falling!!”
90% of everything people do in Western countries is “make work.”
Some of that “make work” produces neutral stuff…like digging a ditch and filling it in, or simply robbing Peter of any of his excess “money” so Paul can hit the race track with it.
Much of that work, however, produces “bads.”
“Bads” run the gamut from welfare destroying families, independence and self-respect to weapons of war whose manufacturers lobby constantly to have politicians come up with ways to “use up” the old so new stuff can be ordered so the salesmen fill their quotas.
Anyone who does not understand that industrial warfare creates quotas for warfare is too F-ing stupid to describe.
Mankind is due a vast culling. Pick your poison—war, pollution, monetary Armageddon, something Big and Bad this way comes. It’s cyclical.
It’s Media-Indistrial Complex, as well.