Defending Democracy
Wars overseas will come home.
The elected majorities of both political parties argue Israel’s genocide of Palestinians must be supported because Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. $175 billion, in just 2 1/2 years, has been appropriated for war in Ukraine to defend democracy. The GOP and the Democrats have brought about a needless and reckless cold war with China, again, because of democracy.
The wars I took part in, Afghanistan and Iraq, were waged by the US under banners of freedom and democracy. The same with Libya and Syria. Millions were killed, wounded and made homeless. The hot wars of Cold War I that killed tens of millions were justified by the need to make the world safe for democracy.
For generations, US political and military leaders, amplified constantly by an enthusiastic media, have asserted to the American people that the slaughter of millions around the world has been necessary to protect democracy from what are almost always described as historically dangerous forces.
A massive campaign, including the expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars, has been spent over nearly a decade on a narrative that Donald Trump* is an existential threat to our democracy. Despite statements of shock and declarations that this is not the American way across American media, the only surprise should be that it was only this past weekend that someone acted on the messaging and attempted an assassination.
There is no boundary, line or demarcation that prevents that same calling of young men and women to kill and be killed abroad from being heard and obeyed domestically. Thomas Matthew Crooks may have been the hero he believed was being called upon. In our time of need, with our democratic republic under grave threat, he was a modern Knights Templar, a 21st century Son of Liberty, armed against enemies foreign and domestic, and willing to sacrifice blood for democracy.
Wars overseas will come home.
Forty-plus years later, this Saturday Night Live clip is still timely and much-needed satire:
*Standard Trump Disclaimer, aka STD: just because I am not including a link to an ActBlue Democratic fundraising site does not mean I support Donald Trump, his policies or the GOP. Nor does it mean I am disregarding or denying the seriousness of January 6th et al. See my previous post on my own direct experience with (D)democratic suppression.
I agree that the horrific results of the useless wars the U.S. has been part of abroad will inevitably come home & hit us in the face. The only ones that benefit from these pointless massacres abroad are the military industrial complex & the politicians who approve these wars. The only wars we need to fight in this country are the: war on poverty, the war for healthcare for all, the war for a living wage, the war for affordable housing, etc. We need to start a peace movement & not silently let this govt continue wars abroad that will come home & hit us in the face.
Matthew I hadn’t seen this SNL clip until this day! It really needs to be shared as it’s so indicative of the situation today.