We have ALWAYS been at and will ALWAYS be at war if they have their way.

[Tyler Durden]

Fletcher: "We get Josey Wales and it ends."

Terrill: "Doin' right ain't got no end."

from "The Outlaw Josey Wales"

Whether or not you agree with a given conflict (say, approval for WWII but not for Vietnam)there is hardly a year since the so-called "Spanish-American War" where we have not been involved in a conflict.

This is just the first round where the outsourcing to the Defense Contractors of the entire war is so utterly blatant.

As noted from "The Civil War" (Ken Burns), "The Age of 'Shoddy'", that is, contractors making a bundle off the deaths of soldiers by supplying shit or overpriced shit is nothing new. The poor supply of material to the British Navy ever since there was one is legendary. I'm sure the Greeks and Romans had their supply issues in their conflicts. But this is the FIRST WAR STARTED, RUN, AND SUPPLIED ENTIRELY BY GREEDY, GRASPING CORPORATE MONSTERS.

At least Captain "Red Legs" Terrill had the excuse of honest bigotry; we don't even have THAT anymore.

Where does this all lead? Where it always has: Political or Social Revolution. It's only a matter of time, like the next volcanic eruption or the next asteroid impact: it WILL happen. We can only hope it is a SOCIAL Revolution as they are usually less bloody; but they don't tend to LAST as long in their Positive (or Negative) outcomes. Political Revolutions, usually beginning with documents that start with language like:

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them..."

Blood usually is going to start flowing. A LOT of blood. And unfortunately in this day and age, MOST of it will come from Civilian Men, Women, and most of all, CHILDREN.

Social or Political, unless we can become enlightened to the truth that ALL HUMANITY consists of siblings, and WE ARE ONE WITH ALL LIFE IN THE WORLD, this will not end well. Personally, I do not see this happening.

I hope that the creature that evolves to fill our niche, whether they are based on a current model or have to re-evolve over millions of years, is kinder and gentler than our species has proved.

[Virginia Dare]

1. The beast must be fed...n/t

[Tyler Durden]

2. "What makes the grass grow?!?!?"

"BLOOD!!! BLOOD!!! BLOOD!!"

...chant from USMC Boot Camp.

"Killing is our Business...and Business is GOOD"

...arm tattoos from certain divisions of the US Army.

"We have met the enemy, and they are US."

...Pogo, by Walt Kelly

[liberal N proud]

3. War is a mechanism used by rulers of countries to control its subjects

Kings have used it, Dictators rely on it and our own government is no different. They need to have the war to keep the people in a constant state of fear.
We feared the Russians for so many years while Russia was busy keeping their people afraid of us. After the Cold War, those who purportedly rule this country needed something else to keep us in fear. As soon as the cold war was on ice, we were going after a much warmer enemy, The Islamic nations. The Gulf War was just the first blow in that new fear factor game.

[Tyler Durden]

4. Yep. So you're a Socialist like me. Right?

AND you want this nationalistic montage of US vs THEM to disappear FOREVER in ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT.

Right?

That's what I want. It's the only way we will all WIN, like John Nash said.

[The2ndWheel]

5. My kind of thinking

I also share your pessimism. Mostly because humans want control of anything and everything, and will do what is needed to get it.

[Tyler Durden]

6. Maybe it's time we looked on "competition" as a mental illness?

"King of the Hill" is a nasty game of childhood; something we are not supposed to EVER enjoy playing.

Competition means "I WIN, you LOSE. ALL of you. EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU."

And it's WINNER TAKE ALL.