War is a Racket

I just ran across this anti-war essay by famed U.S. Marine Brigadier General Smedley D. Butler. First published in 1935 as trouble was brewing in Europe, it is as relevant today as it was then. In it, Butler expounds bluntly upon his premise that wars are waged solely to serve the interests—financial and otherwise—of the privileged few. Nothing new there, but the fact that it was written by a highly regarded two-time Medal of Honor recipient who had actually seen real combat has me doing pirouettes and singing "Joy to the World."

I will state for the record that I was against invading Iraq, especially for the pack of lies (to quote George Galloway) put forth by the Bush administration. And I really get peeved at those who would point their finger at me and call me "un-American" or even a traitor. (I work for a defense contractor and believe me, I have had more than one heated discussion on this topic.) Listen, just because I was against this war doesn't mean that I don't support our troops and love my country. As a training developer I take pride in contributing to the readiness of our troops. Of course, when it comes to matters of our foreign policy, that's another matter: I think our foreign policy right now is like a bull in a china shop, and that needs to change ASAP.

Now I'm really going to rant: every day I see dozens of "Support Our Troops" magnets on peoples' cars. What does that really mean? How does a magnet on the ass end of your car really mean that you support your troops? Sending them good vibes just isn't enough. How about supporting your troops by voting those who don't have their interests at heart out of office. In the meantime, you can start by sending a soldier a care package.