General Douglas MacArthur (September 2, 1945):
"A new era is upon us. Even the lesson of victory itself brings with it profound concern, both for our future security and the survival of civilization. The destructiveness of the war potential, through progressive advances in scientific discovery, has in fact now reached a point which revises the traditional concepts of war.
Men since the beginning of time have sought peace. Various methods through the ages have attempted to devise an international process to prevent or settle disputes between nations. From the very start workable methods were found insofar as individual citizens were concerned, but the mechanics of an instrumentality of larger international scope have never been successful. Military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn failed, leaving the only path to be by way of the crucible of war. We have had our last chance. If we do not now devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door. The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost matchless advances in science, art, literature and all material and cultural developments of the past two thousand years, It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh."
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Those "immortal" words were spoken nearly sixty-eight years ago, from the deck of the battleship USS Missouri anchored in Tokyo Bay during the formal surrender of Japan, signalling the end of hostilities in the Pacific during World War II.
Since September 2, 1945 the blood of American Men and Women has been spilled on the Korean Pennisula; the hills, valleys, rice paddies of Southeast Asia; the Balkan Peninsula; the sands and cities of Iraq; the sands and cities of Somalia; and the hills and valleys of Afghanistan. Those are the "unclassified" public knowledge areas of conflict and war where American blood has been spilled. In "classified" files, notes, and statistics, we might find other locations where Americans have been "Killed-In-Action", though their "public-fate" may never be known. Places like Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras, Columbia, Yemen, Algeria, Mali, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, etc.
Never before today and the last four years have we, the American People, ever experienced the open disdain, blatant abuse, and casual disregard for the Constitution of the United States of America, and the lives of thousands of American Men and Women who have sworn to defend that Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. The last clause of the last sentence, "the lives of thousands of American Men and Women who have sworn to defend that Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic" should give evidence as to why not only are Active Duty members of the Armed Forces are being deployed far from American Shores, but also why so many of the National Guard and Air National Guard units are also being deployed away from their homes, jobs, and most importantly, their families.
Then as if to add insult to injury, the political bean-counters at the Pentagon, have "determined" that is not cost effective to return the equipment of National Guard and Air Naitonal Guard units deployed abroad when those units return home. Instead the current administration believes it is more cost-effective to transfer that equipment to nations such as Afghanistan and Egypt, under the guise of "Foreign Aid". Yet the fiscal picture for the United States of America is far from rosey or prosperous, in fact quite the opposite.
While I agree, we can not disregard the actions of past Administrations, the affects and effects of war and the deployment of American Men and Women to foreign soils, where, let's be honest, WE ARE NOT WELCOME. The Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch are equally culpable, liable and guilty. For there is very little that one can do within the confines of the United States Constitution, with out the other, especially when it comes to appropriations and spending of money's received as a result of American Tax dollars.
Yesterday, on my Facebook page, I posted the following "tongue-in-cheek" letter of termination of employment for Members of Congress.
Sadly, the failure by Congress and the Administration to enact a federal budget, and continuing to operate the Federal Government by Continuing Resolution, in my opinion is not only gross negligence but bordering on Treason.
Sadder however, is the apparent apathy and lack of outrage by the American People, when the public media continues to report how the Congress and Administration continue to piss away American Tax Dollars, and monies loaned by foreign governments, by sending various "Aid" packages to foreign governments, while American Citizens go hungry, while American Citizens live in poverty, while American Citizens go without critical and necessary healthcare; and while American Citizens who travel are subject to travel restrictions within our Borders, by a Gestapo-like Department of Homeland Security. We would all like to think of the Middle Ages as a time when kings oversaw their loyal subjects out of respect for the crown, but fear of persecution, imprisonment or death is more like it. Have we come full-circle?
The National Park Service even has a web page
To which I must ask, aside from our almost matchless advances in science, art, literature and all material and cultural developments, spoken of by General MacArthur, has anything really changed since 1776?
