Militarism: Americans are tiring of The Long War

Even as they enmesh the U.S. in other senseless, costly military adventures in Yemen, Honduras, West Africa, and the Philippines, to name but a few, Obama administration warriors are taking time off this weekend to try to persuade their erstwhile NATO allies that the war in Afghanistan has been worth the effort. "I can't let this be a war without end," the president is alleged to have said, "and I can't lose the whole Democratic Party."

Too late. Not only has the invasion lost support of the whole Democratic Party, but, as Robert Naiman wrote yesterday on his HuffPost blog (On Afghanistan, the Pentagon Has Lost the American People 2012-05-18), "a substantial part of the Republican Party as well; the majority of Republican voters, for example." Luckily for the president, his domestic allies are the GOP leaders, so the AfPak debacle probably won't be much of a factor in the fall election. Still, Obama seems to be anxious to control the narrative in Chicago.

Whatever the outcomes in Chicago this weekend and in Kabul some weekend in the future, the enthusiasm of security staters for the Long War will not diminish, whether Barack Obama continues in office or Mitt Romney becomes commander in chief. With access to oil and other resources the motivation and the failed "War on Drugs" the excuse, and no matter the harm that is being done at home, America's political elite will continue to bog the nation down in unwinnable conflicts big and small.

America's Pacific Century: The future of politics will be decided in Asia, not Afghanistan or Iraq, and the United States will be right at the center of the action by Hillary Clinton (Foreign Policy 2011-10-11)
The National Security State Wins (Again): Why the Real Victor in Campaign 2012 Won’t Be Obama or Romney by William J. Astore (Tom Dispatch 2012-05-15)
Out of Africa: An expat witnesses the end of halcyon days in Mali by Jennifer Swift-Mogan (ForeignPolicy 2012-04-13)
Unmanned and Dangerous: Why NATO's expanding use of drones is a disturbing trend by Louis Arbour (Foreign Policy 2012-05-18)
The Long War: Year Ten  Lost in the Desert with the GPS on the Fritz  by Andrew J. Bacevich (Tom Dispatch 2010-10-01)
Fact Sheet: History of U.S. Military Involvement in Africa  (AfriCom/Congressional Research Service 2008-06-12)
U.S. Africa Command (AfriCom) History, Background and Fact Sheets

Here are some articles analyzing and debunking the "War on Terror," from a reading list on New Democracy:

• The Lockerbie Fraud Again by Dave Stratman
• Did 9/11 justify the war in Afghanistan? by David Ray Griffin
• PTSD, infertility, and other consequences of war by Bob Nichols
• Assassination by Government: An Exchange by Dave Stratman
• Whom Should We Support in Iran? by John Spritzler
• Obama's Afghanistan War: Morally Wrong, or Incompetently Waged?, by John Spritzler
• No War But the Class War
• Unethical Media Coverage of UK Events, by Elias Davidsson
• Concealing the Real Goals of War by John Spritzler
• Bosses and Workers,  a poem by Dennis Serdel
• My Country & The Railroad Tracks: two poems by Dennis Serdel, Vietnam '67-68 purple heart
• Important link:  911 Video, "Loose Change, 2nd edition, recut
• The true significance of Bush's no-warrant domestic eavesdropping by John Spritzler
• The Antiwar Movement Isn’t Where You Think It Is by Dave Stratman
• The London Bombings and the Class War by Dave Stratman
• "What Bush's 'Freedom & Democracy' Means for Iraqi Farmers" by John Spritzler (March 17, 2005)
• "The Witchhunts Continue: Columbia University and the New Anti-Semitism" by M. Junaid Alam
• "Collateral Damage"  a poem by Gary Corseri (February 2005)
• "The Triumph of Liberalism" by Dave Stratman (November 12, 2004)
• "Circles"  and "BREAKING THE LAW TO WIN"  poems by Dennis Serdel (September 28, 2004)
• "This Land Is Our Land" by John Spritzler (August 31, 2004)
• "Talking to the Wrong People: Lessons of the DNC" by Dave Stratman (August 26, 2004)
• Interview of Dave Stratman (focusing on his article Inventing the Enemy) on WING TV (August 18, 2004)
• "Inventing the Enemy" by Dave Stratman (July 26, 2004)
• "The 'Good War' Myth of World War II" by John Spritzler (July 22, 2004)
• "Beware the Liberal War on Terror" by Dave Stratman (July 5, 2004)
• "Abu Ghraib: We Have Met the Enemy and He Is NOT Us" by John Spritzler (June 2, 2004)
• "Abu Ghraib Prison Torture: a Few Bad Apples or Long Standing Policy?" by John Spritzler (May 12, 2004).
• "The Antiwar Movement Is Not Progressive -- And That's A Good Thing"by Dave Stratman. (March 18, 2004).
• "George Bush, The Anti-Family President" by Bill Kauffman. (October 27, 2003).
• "BULLETDUCKERS" -- poetry by Dennis Serdel. (November, 2003).
• Book Review: "The War On Freedom" by John Spritzler (October 5, 2003)
• "Bush and the 'Good War'" by John Spritzler (September 30, 2003)
• "No To Politics, Yes To Mass Refusal" by Dave Stratman. (September 26, 2003).
• "Making Connections: the War, the Budget, and the Crisis in Social Values" -- remarks by David Stratman at the Community Church of Boston (April 6, 2003).
• "Conspiracy Theory" by Floyd Rudmin. (April, 2003).
• "Free Asan Akbar And Put The System On Trial?" by Steve Hesske (April, 2003).
• "Rethinking Anti-War Strategy" by Jim Luken (April, 2003).
• "They Dare Not Speak Its Name" by Steve Hesske (March 25, 2003).
• "The Death March" by Al McKinnis (March, 2003).
• The Call of Workers for Peace  (January, 2003).  Workers for Peace -- Chinese translation. Workers for Peace -- German translation.
• "Stop The Endless War: Boycott The Volunteer Army" by Doug Fuda. (January 23, 2003).
• "Elite Spokesman Alarmed by Magnitude of Opposition to Iraq War" by John Spritzler (January 9, 2003).
• "Palestine & Iraq: Any Signs of Hope? The lessons we have learned" by Henry Lowi (November 10, 2002).
• "What Is War With Iraq Really About?" -- A New Democracy Flyer. (Fall 2002).
• "A War To Make Iraq Democratic?" by John Spritzler. (Oct '02).
• "The U.S. As Fourth Reich" by David Stratman. (September 2, 2002).
• "Useful Enemies" by Dave Stratman. (NDN* Nov. '01-Feb. '02).
• "Is It Really A 'War Against Terrorism?'" (NDN* Nov. '01-Feb. '02).
• "What Else Could He Have Done?" (NDN* Nov. '01-Feb. '02).
• "Why Is The US Bombing Yugoslavia?" by Dave Stratman. (NDN* May-June 1999).
• * "NDN" indicates that the article is from the New Democracy Newsletter.

Change Watch: Glory, glory, hallelujah!

Speaking of our colonial war in the Philippines (see Peace Games, below) that followed in the wake of our defeat of Spain, in protest of that folly, an angry opponent of empire, Mark Twain, composed in 1901 this still-timely lyric to the melody of The Battle Hymn of the Republic:

The Battle Hymn of the Republic (Brought Down to Date)

by Mark Twain

Mine eyes have seen the orgy of the launching of the Sword;
He is searching out the hoardings where the stranger's wealth is stored;
He hath loosed his fateful lightnings, and with woe and death has scored;
His lust is marching on.

I have seen him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded him an altar in the Eastern dews and damps;
I have read his doomful mission by the dim and flaring lamps--
His night is marching on.

I have read his bandit gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:
"As ye deal with my pretensions, so with you my wrath shall deal;
Let the faithless son of Freedom crush the patriot with his heel;
Lo, Greed is marching on!"

We have legalized the strumpet and are guarding her retreat;*
Greed is seeking out commercial souls before his judgement seat;
O, be swift, ye clods, to answer him! be jubilant my feet!
Our god is marching on!

In a sordid slime harmonious Greed was born in yonder ditch,
With a longing in his bosom--and for others' goods an itch.
As Christ died to make men holy, let men die to make us rich--
Our god is marching on.

* NOTE: In Manila the Government has placed a certain industry under the protection of our flag. (M.T.)

(Btw, that is Twain's version of the imperial flag illustrating the note on O's withdrawal speech.)