Custer, WA
July 5, 2017
by Rich Scheck
The study by two American academics lends considerable support to my
long-held view that the key issue for transforming US politics is stopping our
involvement in more wars: http://reason.com/blog/2017/07/03/did-endless-war-cost-hillary-clinton-the
Their research focuses on “the viability of principled non-intervention” which is
a fancy way of saying no more wars for regime change based on claims of
humanitarian intervention.
The NeoLiberal hawks on the Left like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama relied
on such notions to justify their policy positions. These strongly echoed the
views of the NeoCons like President Bush and Senator McCain whose comfort
level with American Exceptionalism was used to justify their interventionist
approach to foreign policy.
Ultimately these ideas meshed making both parties fully complicit in these failed
adventures which have cost our country so much in lives, treasure and good will.
Now we have some research to support the thinking behind what Ross Perot said
in 1992; Pat Buchanan and Dennis Kucinich said in 2004; and what Ron Paul has
been saying for decades: the US should stop interfering with other countries and
bring (most of) the troops home.
Currently, Tulsi Gabbard and Rand Paul have promoted similar views from opposite
sides of the aisle. These two are reminding the elite from both parties that most voters
are tired of “the human cost of war” and want us to stop these endless interventions.
https://stateofthenation2012.com/?p=68524
Perhaps the message is finally being received by some even if President Trump chooses
to ignore the lesson from his election success. The recent bi-partisan vote in the House
Appropriations Committee to end the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force
represents an important baby step towards reversing this failed approach.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/47359.htm
On Friday, Trump will have a golden opportunity to show the world he is not tone-deaf.
He will be meeting President Putin at the G20 in Hamburg, Germany. Hopefully the two
world leaders will discuss ways to reduce the escalating global tensions that have taken
such a heavy tool on humanity in recent years.
And Syria is a great place to start! https://stateofthenation2012.com/?p=76849
As the report contends, politicians must be sensitive to views that our country cease its
roll as the world’s policeman. That will be a formidable task since the power of the
military-industrial complex is pervasive in the councils of government as Ike warned it
would become unless the public constrained it.
Now we have evidence that the National Security State is very vulnerable. Is this
all too little too late or will populist sentiments find a way to prevail?