Tuesday, October 23, 2012
In the Navy
I thought nations have a military to defend themselves, not to keep people employed. The Republican response to "Bayonets and Horses" is pitiful. Or, and probably more so, it finally reveals the true nature of the beast (or should I say "holy cow"?): America wanting to continue to be the strongest nation on the planet has nothing to do with being "better", but it has to do with pride. Just like in the Olympics, it's okay to be second at times, or third...But as it is, the US military remains the proverbial elephant in the room nobody (neither democrats nor republicans) wants to talk about, as it is the main reason for the unbalanced budget and all kinds of economic problems that follow suit. 9/11 of course provided the perfect reason to keep the military-industrial complex going that needed a massive threat after the collapse of communism. So, if you continue to support the endless spending of the US-military, it's you who has drunk the cool-aid... And: no, Mr Romney, America is not the hope of the earth. Not sure what your Mormon church taught you, but in my book the hope of the world is not any nation, but Jesus Christ, the son of God!
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That last bit about Romney saying America was the hope of the earth - that struck a sour note for me, as well, though as soon as I mentioned it, all my conservative friends were unhappy that I was "nit-picking" their candidate.
ReplyDeleteOn the issue of military spending, I agree that we do not need "endless spending", and I recognize that national pride may be a big reason why it's so important to so many to have "the best in the world". I think, though, that terrorism and unrest with places like N. Korea, Afghanistan and Iran are real concerns for many Americans, and rightly so. Maybe part of the equation is pride, but I think another part of the equation is peace of mind. Knowing we have the "biggest and the best" may help some to live in a sense of security (even if it's a false sense). I've also heard the stories about soldiers having to be sent in without proper equipment, and I think it's important that if someone's gonna put their life on the line for us, we ought to at least do our best to support them while they do it.
I'm not saying we need more military spending right now, necessarily, but at least I think I understand why some support it, and it's not all bad reasons. I'm also not saying we should drastically cut military funding, though I agree we might be able to scale back and still be OK, if we can determine the right ways/places to make those cuts without putting people in bad situations. I think any plan to cut needs to show what exactly is gonna get cut and why so people can make the best decisions possible.
Won't it be nice, though, when all this is over? When God makes everything right, and we won't have to go to war or train for war anymore, and we can instead beat our swords into plowshares? I look forward to that day with nothing but expectant hope! :-)
God bless!