WAR ADDICTION!
The Business of the U.S. Is War and More War!
A Reflection for the 4th of July while eating hot dogs and apple pie!
Former President and General, Dwight David Eisenhower, issued a warning on Jan. 17th 1961 in his farewell address to the nation. “….we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”
Today, more than 50 years later, the military industrial complex has grown immeasurably to include not only a vast military establishment and arms industry, but now includes Congress, the mass media, religious institutions, education, every state house and local council. Militarism infects every aspect of life in the U.S. In essence the U.S. has become addicted to war. And like any drug addict, the war addict is controlled by the drug and on a path to self destruction.
Today the U.S. wages war against Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya and Yemen. In truth, these are imperial wars of domination for control of resources, and strategic regions of the world, but disguised as noble causes.
Look at the facts: See http://alturl.com/yxnvh article by Steven Lendman
DOD is the world’s largest landlord with over 539,000 facilities (buildings, structures,) located on nearly 5,000 sites, covering more than 28 million acres in America, its territories and overseas. They include over 1,000 overseas bases in 150 or more countries. Congressional Research Service data says active duty US military personnel worldwide, National Guard, and Selected Reserves, total 1,683,000.
U.S. Military spending: the grand total likely exceeds $1.5 trillion annually, a figure rising most years while popular human needs go begging. Economists cite the unreliability of official numbers, suggesting it’s more accurate to take the “official” Pentagon’s basic budget and double it because as much as 40% of it is black or hidden, plus there are add on supplementals for the ongoing wars. Hidden items that are militarily related include such things as debt interest of $126.3 Billion on military outlays.
What about Hawaii? According to a RAND report released on June 1, 2011 military spending in Hawaii totals more than $6.5 billion annually; $12.2 billion in cumulative effect; 101,533 jobs. Not a word about the COSTS of military occupation of Hawaii, the poisoning of the land, water, etc.
The big news: Governor Abercrombie wants to to move tens of thousands of Marines from Okinawa to be based on Hawaii Island at Pohakuloa.
See > http://blogs.hawaiibusiness.com/2011/06/02/abercrombie-pohakuloa-vs-guam/
End the War Addiction!
Military Clean-Up NOT Build-UP!
1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties. 4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, etc. 5. Seek peace through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Contact: Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760.
Phone (808) 966-7622. Email ja@interpac.net http://www.malu-aina.org
Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (July 1, 2011, – 511th week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office
