It's interesting to compare civil opposition to the current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to that during the Vietnam ear. You would think that with all the IT capes the Left would have been able to organize to "bring them home". So where are all the protesters? Which university campus has had a sit-in this week? Oh wait - how about this year (or last, for that matter)? Today's American Left is demoralized in the face of an apathetic youth. With the growing political power of those who ruled the streets in the '60's, there is still one last chance to end the war machine (and it wasn't vested in electing Obama). Here is the only plan that will do it -
1. War Tax. We need legislation that requires that the cost of war be taxed outright and balanced by the end of the year. No more deficit fighting! If the democracy wants to war, then each member must pay for it on a yearly basis. So, if the war costs a X per year then we must divide X by the number of tax payers. We guarantee that from then on people will pay attention when the drums start beating. Is this a war that the USA must fight? will be on everyone's lips. No more make war to get out the votes.
2. Education. We must make conflict resolution and peace studies a central part of the K-16 curriculum. Every child instinctively knows how to make a fist and punch someone. Humans need to be taught alternative ways to violence.
3. Stop selling weapons to "developing" nations and entrenched dictators. It is crucial that the West, particularly the USA, scale back its sales of arms to other nations. Today much of the world's war machinery is being driven by military export sales from the West to the Rest. The money that the Rest could be spending on infrastructure (education, social services, roads, technology) instead goes into purchasing Western weapons. A case in point is the fact that Europe fell over itself to help Gadaffi - read
4. Pursue international arms dealers. Most deaths around the world are caused by small arms (read more). International arms dealers often traffic in small arms. The world must stand united in pursuing these ruthless individuals with the same energy and gusto that the world pursues international terrorists.
5. Strengthen real international treaties such as the ban on land mines. Stopping the war machine can only happen through a concerted effort on the part of all people of good will. It must take place through international regimes that slowly dismantle the means of death (land mines, cluster bombs, small arms, etc.) and sideline the merchants of death.
6. Universal Draft. Yes, one of the big accomplishments of the Left was to end the draft. Well, it was the death sentence to the Peace Movement. College students could bury their heads in the attitude that "well, they signed up." Parents could forget about the kids who are over there because theirs are safe. Only by making war truly democratic will civil society respond appropriately.
Eisenhower's speech on the military-industrial complex - here
EVERYDAY MAKE YOUR OWN HISTORY - MJ - HERE
