It was properly called the "self" coronation of George W. Bush. Even now, the White House is being redecorated for President Bush's second term - or at least one room, the Lincoln Bedroom. The famous long bed will remain; so will the original Emancipation Proclamation in its glass case. But dominating the room, above the bed, will be a large carved crown from which will flow, ceiling to floor, royal purple satin drapes. The crown has been sent to be gilded with gold in anticipation of Bush's triumphant return from his campaign.That Bush has imperial ambitions has been clear since his "triumphal" landing on an the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln to announce "mission accomplished". That was four years ago and it is clear that not only has nothing been accomplished, things are worse. The Middle East is a much more dangerous place. The world may be but a single fuck up away from nuclear war. If Bush doesn't blow us up, he will bore us to death with stupid remarks and his phony hayseed accent.--Truthout.org
Sen. Ted Kennedy About How Bush Has Failed to Learn the Lessons of History
In the spring of 1991, following a great victory, American generals lead a parade of their own in the nation's capital. Held ostensibly to honor the men and women who participated in Operation Desert Storm, the parade clearly celebrate two additional accomplishments: first that the American military had finally rid itself of the Viet Nam self-doubting shackles; and second, that the country now stood alone as the world's only superpower.It's a safe bet that GWB, comfortable strutting gaily on aircraft carriers, did not read the Major's thesis which goes on to conclude that just as David would not have confronted Goliath with sword and shield, "future enemies" will not confront US power on "our" terms. The US, the major warns, will ignore at its own peril the realities of what was then "future" war. Thanks to a man who dares crown himself, a man who assumes dictatorial powers, a man who gets his orders directly from God, the future is now and has been for 5 years. The US is fighting the Viet Nam war all over again and getting the same result: quagmire and defeat.
The American military had once again arrived at center stage and was reveling in the moment. In the din of congratulations and emotion, Rome's slave would have needed a bullhorn to issue any warnings and, as the ensuing decade has unfolded, US forces have continued to prepare for war in a manner that largely anticipates Desert Storm redux.
But if the rest of the world learned anything from that conflict, it was precisely that the US should not be fought along conventional lines.
The Major describes the "Triumphs" that were accorded Roman emperors for more than a thousand years. At least 320 triumphal processions took place since the beginning of Rome till the reign of Vespasian. It was in 403 AD that the emperor Honorius enjoyed the last truly Roman triumph.
Military types almost always overlook a simple fact lost amid the pomp. Simply, power derives from truth. In its absence there is only temporary brute coercion. Machiavelli was dead wrong. Ethics cannot be separated from the practice of politics and morality cannot be divorced from the practice of war.
As every tyrant fails, death awaits every living being. The meanings of our lives are bound up in each fleeting sentient instant. A life spent devising death without question is a life wasted. As Socrates would have put it: "The unexamined life is not worth living."
George W. Bush should take into consideration the fact that his life has thus far been squandered in the pursuit of vainglorious empire, ego gratification, and cheap kicks. That might have been forgiven were it not purchased with the lives of innocents who gain nothing from Bush's infantile ambitions.
Victorious Roman Generals and Emperors were granted triumphal processions upon their return to Rome. Gen. George W. Patton, who read a bit about this sort of thing, described the triumphal parade.
"For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeteers, musicians and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conquerors rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting."An audio update:- Gen. George C. Patton
Recent ArticlesTo Hold Bush Accountable for the Iraq War, the Democrats Should Listen to Richard Nixon
Tip of the Black Hat to BuzzFlash"An unpopular president [Johnson] was prosecuting an unpopular war, which was despised by more than half the American people. His political opponent [Nixon, although Nixon actually ran against Humphrey, Johnson's Vice-President] knew that the best way to take him down - and ultimately to take down his entire Party - was to simply say out loud what everybody knew to be true. To call out the President. To declare him and his war a failure. To call on the American people for truth and honesty in government, and an end to war. Here's a quick clip composite, sent along to us by a listener (I'm sorry, I don't remember whom) a year or so ago, of Richard Nixon at the 1968 Republican National Convention..."Play:
-- Thom Hartmann in an e-mail to BuzzFlash
Artist: Richard Nixon
Title: Lyndon Johnson Has Been a Failed War Leader
Length: 1:04 minutes (501.47 KB)
Format: MP3 Mono 44kHz 64Kbps (CBR)
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8 comments:
War is no game, it's no contest, it's a bitter and bloody battle for survival (especially if you are not the aggressor). Of course our opponents wage gorilla warfare, it's the only kind of war they could expect to win...
Actually, I said something along this line a couple years ago, and did it better:
Think about a handgun. Once upon a time, if you wanted to kill someone, you needed to be bigger or faster or luckier. Suprise might help, but in the end it was strength and ability that won the fight.
Then came the gun. Suddenly, being bigger and stronger wasnt enough, big men could be taken down by children and old ladies. Guerilla fighting is the New Gun, and that's what this "insurgency" is, a guerilla war. We call the Insurgents "immoral", and so they are, because they involve innocent civilians.
But suppose they targeted only soldiers and police with their bombs. Wouldnt they then be soldiers fighting a war the only way they can against a far superior opponent. Unconventional? Yes. In violation of the Geneva Accords? Possibly, never having actually studied them I couldnt say.
But lets understand something here - this is War, capital "W". Big countries continue to get together to come up with "civilized" rules for killing each other; but this is done mostly for self-preservation: You-Dont-Do-That-and-We-Wont-Either rules avoid a lot of potential nastiness, leaving mostly the kind of nastiness the public is used to (guns, bombs, flames, shock and awe) available just in case Someone is feeling a little agressive.
But Guerilla Wars are rarely fought by established nations. They are fought by small groups battling big odds. Their effectiveness is based on not following the rules, and to expect them to give up an advantage just because it doesnt fit the rules of the Big Boys is simply naive. War is Hell, and Soldiers Die. If you cant deal with that, then you need to rethink your battleplan to include not having one. And if you dont have any choice (rarely true, despite assurances from Authorities) then be prepared for Death, on someone else's terms.
Good post, dave. And, of course, we can hardly expect our "enemies" to play nice-nice when we have violated every convention that was supposed to have protected civilian populations from the barbarity, the savagery of war. Realistically, I expect nothing BUT hypocrisy from the GOP, Bush in particular, and the right wing, in general.
When the British Crown was mired in its own quagmire in North America, William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, summed it up:
If I were an American, as I am an Englishman, while a foreign troop was landed in my country I never would lay down my arms,—never! never! never!
Did Bush and Bushy expect Iraqis to simply line up in formation to be blown up en masse?
The US military is --on the whole --stupid, enamored of high priced hardware and sheer firepower. I wouldn't give a "hoot n' holler" for the lot of Pentagon brass or their attendant ass kissers.
"OLEB and the Texas Death Master"
www.ilovepoetry.com/viewpoem.asp?id=93328
Long ago silence only brought death disaster?
A fine read my friend and now crossposted. Thank you for your energy and wisdom.
Thanks, poetryman...your efforts are appreciated as well as the crosspost.
Len,
A very thought provoking post, Thank you.
Your discussing what General Patton, said regarding the, Roman Military leaders when they returned from War long ago, really hasn't changed. There being a slave, not far behind is basically the same.
Politicians, and Military leaders acquire much power, and money. While in or out of Command, or elected service. Sometimes they use it properly, or like today many are abusing it.
Great Post Len!
Dave, great comment too....
I've been considering for some time now the proposition that we (as a nation) have become so ego-centric and geo-centric that we have reached the point of, well, stupidity.
After 1991 and Desert Storm, it was apparent that the U.S. military was so technically advanced over other nations that no leader in his right mind would dare challenge us in a "fair" fight...that is, a symmetric battle, force-to-force, fixed-piece battle. Assymetric warfare was the only alternative for countries who wished to oppose the will of the United States.
(also faux-insanity is a pretty good defense too...see Iran and North Korea)
Our problem was that we showed our cards too early and perhaps even too often. We gave awesome and shocking (pun intended) demostratioins of our abilities at every opportunity without restraint or hesitation.
The rest of the world didn't suffer from our myopic view. They watched. They learned. They probed for the weaknesses and eventually they discovered them.
I think the ultimate weapon...the ultimate answer to conflict lies in game theory...in short: In certain game scenarios, the only way you can win is by not playing.
thanks hizzoner,
You are definitely onto something. At the heart of it all is the concept of "arming", the procurement of arms for "defense". It is a self-fullfilling prophecy. There is always a motivation to get a bigger, better killing device. And, if history is any guide, those machines beg to be used and always are. Someone, somewhere will drop nukes on someone again somewhere.
Unfortunatley, I can find no inherent, endemic dynamic working toward peace and civility. The human race survived by killing off its competitors and, as long as the result is not the complete and utter destruction of the species, aggression was an "adaptive advantage".
Since leaving the African savanna several millions of years ago, the "aggression" gene is anything but recessive. The "peace" gene, if ever there had been one, has been bred out of the species.
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