I Am the 1%

Monday, September 9, 2013
I was listening to the September 6th edition of Moyers and Company yesterday. The guest was historian, Vietnam veteran and noted conservative Andrew Bacevich, and they were talking about the possible military action in Syria. From the interview:
If you think back to 1980, and just sort of tick off the number of military enterprises that we have been engaged in that part of the world, large and small, you know, Beirut, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia — and on and on, and ask yourself, ‘What have we got done? What have we achieved? Is the region becoming more stable? Is it becoming more Democratic? Are we enhancing America’s standing in the eyes of the people of the Islamic world?’ ‘The answers are, ‘No, no, and no.’ So why, Mr. President, do you think that initiating yet another war in this protracted enterprise is going to produce a different outcome?
Um, yes. Just so. Not to be all isolationist or anything, but I'm honestly beginning to think that U.S. policy in the Middle East should basically consist of getting the hell out of there and letting those countries manage their own shit for a change. They'll either work it out and embrace the Enlightenment - or they won't. Because our very costly efforts to force the issue have been singularly, spectacularly unsuccessful, and I can't see why me and mine should go into harm's way (again) for a demonstrably failed policy.

But the part of the interview that really resonated with me was the thesis of Dr. Bacevich's new book, Breach of Trust: How Americans Failed Their Soldiers and Their Country. He contends that since America now relies on a professional military rather than a citizen’s army, we've been lured into a morass of endless war. The military is no longer the tool of the people, Dr. Bacevich contends, but the tool of politicians, and no one pays the price for their use except military families - approximately 1% of the population. No sacrifices are asked of the population. There is no draft. We fund our wars with foreign debt. The price is paid purely and wholly by those families who send their young people off to serve, who may or may not return from their deployments.

My political views are basically diametrically opposed to those of Dr. Bacevich, but I have to say - the man's right on the money with this. The only difference is that in this case the 99% aren't supporting the 1% in some sort of orgy of consumerism and greed. The 99% are sending the 1%'s children off to die, they're fracturing military families, they're allowing a tiny minority to bear the entire burden of their elected officials' ideas.

And that's just wrong.
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ETA: Eric Garland has an excellent essay up on why American politicians are so blind to our failed foreign policy in this region. Worth a read. 

2 comments:

Anne C. said...

That Eric Garland analysis is spot on.

smithjim1961 said...

I can see why you dig smart men. You're pretty damn smart, yourself.

I'm also glad to see an encouraging sign of wisdom in the Americans who oppose US military involvement in Syria. I'm grateful diplomacy seems to have averted a disaster. I couldn't care less if Putin gets credit for it.

This is off topic and I hope it isn't inappropriate to say this. I want to tell you the first thought that went through my head when I saw your picture. Before I do, let me tell you what was on my mind before I saw your picture.

I found out about the walk for darkness from Jim Wright's blog. He has a link in his blog post to your website. Wanting to donate was in the forefront of my mind. In the back of my mind was, "hot chicks dig smart men? I wonder what that's all about" So I clicked on the link and up popped your picture. I instantly blurted out in my head, "I HAVE AN IQ OF 140!!"

My heart goes out to you about your daughter. I hope my attempt at humor made you smile.