Showing posts with label War. Show all posts
Showing posts with label War. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

We've Got To Pay For This One Day

Another troubling aspect of the Iraqi War is the funding, which is surely, and not too slowly, draining our reserves, our financial ones, that is. We are going more and more into debt everyday. All because our buffoon of a president, who got us into this mess to begin with under false pretenses (possibly knowingly, but that's another issue) further refuses to fund the war. With this in mind, I have come to the conclusion that there is one, and only one, solution to this dilemma. And that is simply to do something Bush has sworn to never do, which is, raise taxes. Not on the middle class. Not on the working poor. But, quite simply, on those who make more than 200,000 dollars a year. They should be hit immediately with a special ten per cent tax, to fund the war. And, in order to prevent them from passing this tax along to the consumer, we may have to initiate a temporary Price Control Agenda. Not by law, but by levying a further tax on any business or corporation that raises it's prices, or cuts back on it's work force, in the aftermath of this.

If the nation would do this, if Congress would pass this law, which they might have to pass over Bush's veto with a two thirds majority (which might not be all that hard to accomplish as one might initially think) not only would the war be adequately funded, we could probably in the meantime keep all over necessary spending sufficiently funded, and at the same time ensure that the war would soon be brought to a reasonable conclusion. In fact, if this were made the permanent law of the land, I have a feeling the nation would find itself embroiled in very few, if any, wars. And what wars we were to become involved in,you can rest assured, would definitely be necessary.

Moreover, this would be one way to equally share the burden of war, as for the most part it is the sons and daughters of the working poor and middle class who fill the ranks of the military. The wealthy are seldom to be found on the ground in military conflicts. Yet, they seem to be the ones who are the quickest to push for military action. It is the big business corporations who profit in the way of military contracts, but it is the blood of the poor and middle class that is being shed to fight the wars. This policy would eliminate that disparity.

If a policy such as this isn't enacted, on the other hand, the mountain of debt that will be accrued over the years might turn this nation into just another Third World debtor nation, where the wealthy lord it over everybody, and there is no middle class to speak of. Just islands of serfdom in an ocean of feudalism.

What Do You Say To A Potential Recruit?

Frankly, I tell them the way it is. I tell them, if you join the military, don't necessarily believe everything the recruiting officer tells you. Once your time of enlistment is up, it is a part of your military contract (one that no one will go out of their way to point out to you) that you will be expected to stay past that expiration time, if needed. In fact, you might even be expected to serve for two or three terms, maybe even more. Joining the national Guard and Army Reserves, in the meantime, is no assured way to get out of combat. It may have been at one time. But that was in the distant past. Now, it is almost a sure thing you will be called to duty in Iraq. As of the present, there is no end in sight to this situation. As a result of this, recruitment is down, across the board, in the traditional military, as well as in the Guard and Reserves.

Parents, as well as some peace activist organizations, have lately taken to protesting the presence of military recruiters on high school and college campuses. As a result, some of these groups are being branded as unpatriotic. Personally, I have mixed feelings about the war, but one thing I am definitely clear on. When a naive young man or woman, particularly one fresh out of high school, is led to enlist in the armed services of this country, be it for patriotic reasons, altruistic ones, or merely out of a sense of respect for family tradition, or even for the more selfish reasons a good many especially poorer recruits choose this route (see the world, education, job training-or simply for a temporary paycheck) then the military has a moral and ethical obligation-and as far as I'm concerned a legal one-to live up to the terms of their contract. By keeping these young people in past their originally agreed time of enlistment, they are breaking faith with their soldiers, their parents, and the American public. And it is counterproductive. They have made matters worse as far as enlistment goes by this action, when a simple substantial increase in pay would help to solve the problem. Ensuring that they are properly supplied with the equipment they need in a timely manner would help at least as much.

If it smells like a lemon, it only makes good lemonade with the right amount of sugar and water.