printAs the Republican presidential candidates ramp-up their faux-patriotic militaristic jingoism, it’s time to remember just how dumb these people are. Here is “The Republican Party Animals Music Video”:
The American Conservative captured this thematic, quintessentially Republican cretinism, in all its contradictions—as if both “small government” and a massive military can coincide—in the cover art and cover story of the issue titled, “GOP and Man at Yale”:
Unbeknown to Republicans, “the military is government. The military works like government; is financed like government, and sports many of the same inherent malignancies of government. Like government, it must be kept small.”
The average voter, whether blue team or red team, knows next to nothing about the military or how it operates. Having been a part of it during the contemporary era I can attest that it is an enormous bureaucracy that operates in an incredibly inefficient manner. Forget what you hear about the U.S. having the best military in the world. What the United States of America has is the most expensive and wasteful military known to mankind. If readers (and the host) would like to know how outrageous the military can be when it comes to corruption you need to check out “The Tillman Story.” It may make the flag wavers cringe a little, but at least you will know some truth when your done.
Cute video. Who are the babes wearing the American flag paint jobs? I think I’m in love. Now, what’s the point? That the Republicans are mostly politically driven dorks is understood. But, the first order of business is try to break the stranglehold of the Democrat party. We can’t all be phds and deep thinkers so there will be no third party that will amount to anything but road kill in any election. We have to tackle first things first. How we get it done is not important. Once we save the country then we can set about making the Republican party over in our image. It’s a lot closer than the Democrat party. Until then style points don’t count, just results. And, that’s tough enough.
We could have a limited government and a strong military if we followed the Swiss model (see http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig8/bradley1.html). I don’t think that either party is is willing to give up their power.
At first, Rome was a Republic. Julius Caeser made it a Dictatorship. The subsequent Dictators made it an Empire. The Romans were ingenious and industrious and introduced Western ideas to the known world. However, the glue was their military.
The United States organized as a Republic of free states. The U.S. Civil War/War between the States started the road to centralized Federal Government control. Teddy and FDR expanded things and confiscated things.
Today, we are largely dismissed by politicians until they buy our votes with the largesse of various social programs. They buy the supporting funds of businesses by providing protection. They buy the votes of military-industrialism by ever expanding the scope of security needs.
Watch what happens in the Mid-East. I suspect things will have to change when
the supported players turn against the U.S. and start wholesale support for their minions here. Roman military might was squashed when it became too large, too extended, and too corrupt and formerly conquered peoples revolted, turned on Rome, and invaded.
I recognize that a military defense of a country is a primary function of government, but I recognize that a country of 300 Million armed citizens is a prime deterrent to those who wish us harm.
Now, Andy, “THE TILLMAN STORY”…THANKS FOR THE HEADS-UP ON IT.
Sorry Ilana, I made it to 1:31 on the video and I couldn’t take anymore.
The late Pat Tillman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Tillman was a patriot who loved his country and cared more about defending her people against the scum who attacked us than the politicians. While he studied religious books, he was, thank G_d, an atheist and a fierce opponent of Bush and the Iraq War. His family resented the way he was used as a pro-war poster boy.
Unlike James Huggins, I have little problem with there being a big governmental socialistic party (call them the Democrats). What is a true barrier to freedom in this country is that the Opposition party (and the American electoral process is a 2-party process) is not the Libertarian or Constitution parties but the Republicans – a collection of cultural conservatives (generally Southern and rural Protestants) , country-club plutocrats, and defense contractors / warmongers perfectly happy with Big Government as long as they are at the helm. The Romneys, Perrys, and McCains with their phony “freedom rhetoric” are the leading OBSTACLES to freedom in America – more so than Obama and Pelosi.
I would be happy if the Republicans went the way of the Whig Party and a Jeffersonian classical liberal Opposition party rose to take its place.
It pains me to so vehemently disagree with Ilana whose intellect is phenomenal,regarding her conclusion that in order to advocate for a smaller government you must also believe in a truncated Military.I believe that would be analogous to saying if you bought a business that employed many workers you ‘d have employ as many for your household staff.I agree there are cuts that should be made to streamline the services.IE: we don’need 1 Admiral for every 6 sailors—BUT whether in the streets of South Africa–New York—or between Nations strength is peace and weakness is provocation!!!
Well, I DO have a problem with a big governmental socialistic party. That the Republicans are a loss is not up to debate but the Democrat party is the enemy at the gates that must be defeated first. Bemoaning the two party system is as usless as trying to urinate into a running gin fan. It aint gonna do no good. To pine for a Jeffersonian classical liberal party to arise amongst American voters is a pipe dream of the highest order. First things first: Defeat the Democrats. We have to use what’s available. The Reprblicans. I realize the Tea Party is not fashionably cerebral enough for true classical liberals but it’s the only path to turning around the only opposition to the democrats that can be mounted.
JD Hicks: The US deploys troops all over the world and outspends the entire rest of the world combined in terms of defense. If this is necessary to stop war, then why haven’t other countries been invaded who spend less than us? Do we need 8,029 troops in Qatar to protect us from an invasion from Canada? In fact, the US has never had a land army encroach upon the sovereign states prior to a declaration of war. Are the 53,951 troops in Germany there stopping Hitler (isn’t he dead??)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_deployments
The military funding argument is the same as the agriculture argument (stop the Department of Agriculture and everyone starves), the education argument (stop the Department of Education and everyone becomes stupid), and the rest of the statist arguments. Admittedly, American probably will have a larger military budget than any other country but if our current level of over 5000 nuclear weapons is not deterrent, then nothing is.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapons_and_the_United_States
There is plenty that can be cut!
@JD there’s a large area between “truncated” and this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures
Also, many of us don’t believe the military has any place in the streets of South Africa, definitely not New York or anywhere in between for that matter. They should be used strictly to defend the country.
There is a very large difference between having an army to defend the country and having an army to rule the world. My concealed carry is a CZ82 with three mags because you can’t stop to go shopping and I rarely carry. An analogy to The American military at this time, who I feel should be the same as I, since we face the same odds of danger. We started all the fights we’re in you know. For me to equal America’s present military is to carry a MP5, with my wife carrying ten thirty round mags, and be slapping the other people on the sidewalk with the front sight. In this case a truncated Military is not only desired but necessary.