It is and has been the Neutralist’s contention that none of
our overseas adventures does us any good.
It would be bad enough if all that happened were merely the drain of
resources as we left troops overseas to keep up the national holding action.
Unfortunately, in introducing an article by Andrew Bacevich,
Tom of TomDispatch has highlighted the war profiteering that is essentially
America’s Sixth Column. If a fifth
column is subversives among an enemy fighting against their own country, A
sixth column would be profiteers who make vast sums on a losing venture.
Halliburton et al have made vast sums and will continue to
and yet if success is measured in elimination of our enemies, anti-success has
been achieved. No matter how many
we kill, they multiply faster than the loaves and fishes. We have not got all that much for the
four trillion +.
The article by Bacevich begins as a conversation with a
young friend who avers that Iraq has ceased to exist. Maps are probably still being printed of a united country,
but who* disagrees with the young man’s at this point?
The discussion is really an intro to Professor Bacevich’s
article, Malarkey on the Potomac.
He sets out five claims taken as articles of faith inside the Beltway
and demolishes them. We have not
problem with that.
* The presence of
U.S. forces in the Islamic world contributes to regional stability and enhances
American influence.
We agree with the
author, but would challenge anyone to point out where there is stability due to
US presence?
* The Persian Gulf
constitutes a vital U.S. national security interest.
The author
mentions our new status as an oil power.
We agree but also believe that oil, a fungible commodity, is such that
even without our involvement, we can get it at the correct price.
* Egypt and Saudi
Arabia are valued and valuable American allies.
Egypt helps us
how. KSA without oil would be a
joke. The tribes that are the
ruling class would never have been capable of anything on their own.
* The interests of
the United States and Israel align.
Some do, but many
don’t. We have addressed it here.
* Terrorism poses
an existential threat that the United States must defeat.
It could, but only
because we import it. All the
terrorists in the world are incapable of forming a navy, A necessity if they have to get here
without our help.
These are the
Neutralist’s thoughts on top of Bacevich’s writing. I agree with his thoughts.
Go here to read
both Tom’s worthy introduction and the article.
They are all believed and
*Some in government may pretend that we can turn that
around, but such sentiment is pro-forma.
All the king’s horses etc.
