Guest Post by Ron Paul
For many of us concerned with liberty, the letters “NDAA” have come to symbolize Washington’s ongoing effort to undermine the US Constitution in the pursuit of constant war overseas. It was the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2012 that introduced into law the idea that American citizens could be indefinitely detained without warrant or charge if a government bureaucrat decides they had assisted al-Qaeda or “associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States.” No charges, no trial, just disappeared Americans.
The National Defense Authorization bill should be a Congressional mechanism to bind the president to spend national defense money in the way Congress wishes. It is the nuts and bolts of the defense budget and as such is an important oversight tool preventing the imperial executive from treating the military as his own private army. Unfortunately that is no longer the case these days.
Why am I revisiting the NDAA today? Unfortunately since 2012 these bills have passed the House with less and less scrutiny, and this week the House is going to vote on final passage of yet another Defense Authorization, this time for fiscal year 2017. Once again it is a terrible piece of legislation that does great harm to the United States under the guise of protecting the United States.
Unless some last minute changes take place, this latest NDAA will force young women for the first time to register to be drafted into the US military. For the past 36 years, young men have been forced to register with Selective Service when they turn 18 or face felony charges and years in prison. Under a perverted notion of “equality” some people are cheering the idea that this represents an achievement for women. Why cheer when slavery is extended to all? We should be fighting for an end to forced servitude for young men and to prevent it being extended to women.
The argument against a draft should appeal to all: you own your own body. No state has the right to force you to kill or be killed against your will. No state has a claim on your life. We are born with freedoms not granted by the state, but by our creator. Only authoritarians seek to take that away from us.
Along with extending draft registration to women, the latest NDAA expands the neocons’ new “Cold War” with Russia, adding $3.4 billion to put US troops and heavy weapons on Russia’s border because as the bill claims, “Russia presents the greatest threat to our national security.” This NDAA also includes the military slush fund of nearly $60 billion for the president to spend on wars of his choosing without the need to get Congress involved. Despite all the cries that we need to “rebuild the military,” this year’s Defense Authorization bill has a higher base expenditure than last year. There have been no cuts in the military. On the contrary: the budget keeps growing.
The Defense Authorization bill should remain notorious. It represents most of what is wrong with Washington. It is welfare for the well-connected defense contractors and warfare on our economy and on the rest of the world. This reckless spending does nothing to defend the United States. It is hastening our total economic collapse.
Defense employs a lot of people.
People who would otherwise have not jobs and cause lots of problems.
FWIW, a very large percentage of our defense costs are providing defense to Europe so they won’t have to and will have money for their socialist programs. Get rid of that and you can cut our defense spending substantially without actually harming our defense here at home (we don’t have to involve ourselves in everyone else’s wars to insure our own security).
“Russia presents the greatest threat to our national security.”
Pile of Dung. What happened to Global Warming (another lie) as the greatest threat). The Administration of Lies and Death.
I cannot tell people how strongly I feel against this idea, having served ten years active duty. While I certainly know many women who would have made excellent combat troops, drafting the future (and current) mothers of our children is disastrous for our society and for these poor young women unprepared to be drafted.
At least we know what the Transgender toilet distraction is hiding.
We should be allies with Russia, not enemies.
I don’t see Russians trying to tell us how to live, what our laws should be and what leaders we should or shouldn’t elect, but I do see Europeans and Mexicans doing it.
Maybe we need to discuss who and what an enemy really is and who an enemy isn’t before we prepare for war against them.
Hmmm
Gee wiz, what happened to “Al Qaeda” and “ISIS” which we have sacrificed over 100,000 Americand soldiers (yes 100,000+ if you count the suicides by returning soldiers”, killed nearly 3 million Muslims and Christians, spent nearly 10 Trillion? I thought they were the gravest threat to US security hence that biggest sacrifice of lives and money since WWII. And the last time I looked, at least according to the US government these 2 “enemies” were still alive, well and active. And yet suddenly, they are no longer a “threat” could it be that is because they have been Israeli/US assets since day one. And that the infrastructure and regime changes are complete. With the exception of Syria and Yemen which the US is actively prosecuting regime change. This is simply more proof the the entire “war on terror” is a complete fraud. Which begs the question: if this is case, and there is strong evidence that it is, then doesn’t that by definition mean that a large percentage of our civilian and military leadership are treasonous swine? I believe so.
DDearborn….after Syria and Yemen, the plan also included Iran.
With the exception of two wars (Revolutionary and Civil), we have, at least, learned it’s less costly to bang foreign heads and blow up other people’s property.
Due to America’s current political structure, Washington MUST have wars and since the population of this poor benighted people of this country would not stand still for screwing around HERE, it MUST be done OVER THERE. Otherwise how does one have such a huge overarmed offensive military force with no wars to fight? Of course as a bonus, the troops get to hear live gunfire for experience and shoot at running targets for real “training”.
Never fear, in a few more years we’ll either be just a memory on this planet (perhaps with bands of hunter gatherers and bandits here and there) but no more Western Civilization as it used to be.
I’m glad I’m old and tired and hopefully won’t have to (try) living through the transition.
MA