George Monbiot (Guardian Unltd): States of war

[Jack Rabbit]

From the Guardian Unlimited (UK)
Dated Tuesday October 14

States of war
Appeasing the armed forces has become a political necessity for the American president
By George Monbiot

The relationship between governments and those who seek favours from them has changed. Not long ago, lobbyists would visit politicians and bribe or threaten them until they got what they wanted. Today, ministers lobby the lobbyists . . . .
But while we are slowly becoming aware of the corporate capture of our governments, we seem to have overlooked the growing power of another recipient of this back-to-front lobbying. In the United States, a sort of reverse military coup appears to be taking place.
Both the president and the opposition seem to be offering the armed forces, though they do not appear to have requested it, an ever greater share of the business of government.
Every week, the state department makes a list of Mr Bush's most important speeches and visits, to distribute to US embassies around the world. The embassy in London has a public archive dating from June last year. During this period, Bush has made 41 major speeches to live audiences. Of these, 14 - just over a third - were delivered to military personnel or veterans.

Read more.

[ixion]

1. Monbiot makes a great point...

He starts by leading them in chants of "Hoo-ah! Hoo-ah!", then plasters them with praise and reminds them that their pay, healthcare and housing (unlike those of any other workers in America) are being upgraded. After this, they will cheer everything he says. So he uses these occasions to attack his opponents and announce new and often controversial policies.

The marines were the first to be told about his interstate electricity grid; he instructed the American Legion about the reform of the Medicare programme; last week he explained his plans for the taxation of small businesses to the national guard. The troops may not have the faintest idea what he's talking about, but they cheer him to the rafters anyway. After that, implementing these policies looks like a patriotic duty.




It's almost like civilians don't exist. Just another clear indication that the neocons are turning the republic into a militarist dictatorship, IMHO.

[RainDog]

2. again-

why do I have to go to a British paper to read this kind of information about the American president?

why doesn't anyone on CNN mention this uncommon number of speeches, both before and after 9-11, to the military?

The galling thing is that the other speeches were, what? Repuke fundraisers disguised as prez duties?

Bush makes my skin crawl.

[Resistance Is Futile]

3. More interesting bits

when you add together the $368bn for routine spending, the $19bn assigned to the department of energy for new nuclear weapons, the $79bn already passed by Congress to fund the war in Iraq and the $87bn that Bush has just requested to sustain it, you find that the US federal government is now spending as much on war as it is on education, public health, housing, employment, pensions, food aid and welfare put together.

You would expect this sort of allocation from a third world military dictatorship. But all this has come from a civilian leadership. It is not just Bush. Such is the success of his re-ordering of national priorities, not a single Democrat on the congressional appropriations panel dared to challenge the government's latest request.

...

But in America, the armed forces, whether they want it or not, are being dragged into the heart of political life. A mature democracy is in danger of turning itself into a military state.

[dudeness]

4. yep..the military/industrial complex

in all its unbridled glory..the military has always served the needs of its political/corporate masters this has never changed..maybe when unemployment reaches 50% with no hospitals or schools for the general population then maybe ppl will take notice..