I have been mulling over the lack of concern that Americans have shown for the deaths of Americans in combat. I posted a piece about the death of an American soldier in Afghanistan from an IED and several others wounded…after checking my stats with WP I found that fewer than 5 people actually read that post….I found that pathetic and disturbing.
My disappointment simmered for about a week and being an opinionated SOB I could not let it go…..8 years ago I posted an article entitled “Watermelon Makes You Horny” and so far it has 6870+ hits and yet a post about the death of American soldier got 3…..how pathetic is that?
Because of the lack of interest I decided to write this op-ed…..
2016 will see Hillary Clinton being elected president of the US….not because she is the better candidate…..but rather she is the ONLY candidate. Trump could have had a shot at the prize but he could not keep his mouth or his Twitter account silent…..because of his mouth the American voted for the only other person that was on the ballot (at least in their little minds).
Clinton being the uber warhawk that she is then America will continue all of our adventurism in the world….our troops will be asked to do more and more to “defend” the homeland (of course that is the biggest propaganda tool they have) and NO one will try to stop her….why? There is NO true anti-war movement any more….and there lies the problem.
There is NO shared experience any more……Americans have No idea what our troops are going through thanx in part to the media and the fact that only 1% of the population is effected by deployments and war…..this needs to stop!
Now you may ask how do we stop this trend of concern by the American people?
As an anti-war protester in years past it pains me to have the only solution to this problem…..and I write it with a grimace……CONSCRIPTION!
I have written several articles over the years calling for the same thing…..most of which were contained in this op-ed that I recently wrote….
As a veteran of Vietnam and a staunch anti-war protester when I returned home….I have worked in the anti-war movement for many years that is until age and handicap got in my way…..and I…
Source: Would a Return to Conscription Substantially Reduce the Probability of War? – In Saner Thought
(Contained in that post are the others that I have written on this issue…I provide them to make it easier to check my stand on this)
It is time for this country’s faux patriotic fervor to be replaced with genuine concern for our country and especially our troops….
Conscription would accomplish two necessary things…..it would give all Americans a shared experience on war and it would help fuel an anti-war movement that would in turn make all this interventionism be held up to accountability.
Believe when I say it pains me that I must result to this…..but the country has become too complacent in our attitude toward war….no matter what the media and government tries to label it….if it involves American troops in harm’s way then it is WAR!
I realize that this stand will not be popular with my Left wing brethren….but if there is a desire to end war then something has to happen….bitching about it does nothing to protect American lives or bring constant war to an end….
At least I have a plan….what’s yours?